Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 1015: Chapter 29: Passive Compromise

With the continuous expansion of labor dispatch, the wave of unemployment was effectively suppressed, and social order gradually improved, as the situation on the European Continent began to stabilize.

Once again, it was proven that if a problem could not be solved, eliminating the people who create the issues was equally effective.

All was developing for the better, and with this outcome, all sections of society were satisfied—everyone except for the careerists.

Japan alone was dissatisfied. The stabilization of the European situation shattered all their illusions. Their hopes that Spain would explode had burst like a bubble.

Not only had Spain not “exploded,” but signs of an explosion appeared within Japan itself.

The “Rice Riot Movement” had spread from Tokyo across the entire nation, with millions participating in this “rice-snatching” movement.

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Despite the Japanese Government’s decisive deployment of troops to suppress the situation, the bloodshed could not curb hunger.

As long as the people’s need for food was not met, the “Rice Riot Movement” could not truly come to a halt.

The Japanese Government had not been idle in this respect, but the real start of the Continental Alliance’s economic blockade posed a major problem. The Spaniards, shrouding themselves in the Alliance’s prestige, hunted “Trade Ships to Japan” everywhere.

To intimidate capitalists, the Spaniards even created a blacklist for reporting collusion with the enemy. No matter the origins of the merchant ships, once confirmed to be supplying Japan,

this wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment reaction, but was indeed recorded in their little books. If not encountered, then fine, but if caught, then expect to be on the front page of the newspapers!

Storms at sea, pirates, the mysteries of the Demon Sea disappearances—all could be arranged. These tricks had already been taught to the Spaniards during the contest for maritime supremacy between England and Spain.

It’s said that a profit of three hundred percent can tempt a capitalist to risk decapitation and commit any sort of crime; but the Japanese Government also had to be able to offer a three hundred percent profit.

Other materials aside, food was a major commodity. If they really offered a three hundred percent profit, even if the food was shipped in, the Japanese people couldn’t afford to eat it!

In this context, continuing to delay was clearly not a wise choice. Especially as the deadline set by the Continental Alliance for withdrawing troops drew closer, Ito Hirobumi felt increasing pressure.

Boundaries are meant to be broken.

Initially, the Tokyo Government still hoped to keep a few small islands in the Southeast Asia region, not to have headed south in vain.

Later it became apparent that this was impossible, as the animosity between the Japanese and Spanish had intensified. Even if a few small islands were retained, once the main force of the Japanese Army withdrew, they would not be able to maintain control.

If ceding territory was out of the question, the Japanese Government aimed to demand reparations, that is, a redemption fee.

Unfortunately, the Spaniards were also impoverished, and they couldn’t be expected to borrow money to pay a ransom to the Japanese, could they?

Even if the Madrid Government was willing to compromise, the Vienna Government, acting as the covert financier, was unwilling to lend the money.

Boundaries only have first times and countless times. Once crossed for the first time, they can be continuously pushed further.

By now, Ito Hirobumi no longer harbored hopes of demanding reparations. As long as the Spaniards didn’t cause trouble and allowed the plundered wealth to be transported back smoothly, that was enough.

The Philippine Islands were rich, and the wealth plundered by the Japanese Army on the islands might not cover the costs of war, but there was hope it could fill half the gap.

Nothing else was guaranteed, but at least the domestic food crisis could be weathered safely. As for what the people on the island would eat after being looted, that was beyond their concern.

The closer it got to a critical moment, the heavier the smell of gunpowder on the negotiating table. Each concession was accompanied by a significant loss of interests, which neither Japan nor Spain were willing to accept. @@novelbin@@

As for the countries involved in mediation, although each had stated their stance, all had their pride. It was one thing for mediators to be biased, but to get directly involved in the quarrel was to lose dignity.

The Japanese and Spanish War did not involve the interests of many countries, and most of those who helped Spain did so out of political necessity, hoping everyone would give their all was impossible.

So, you get what you pay for, and the benefits Spain could offer were only enough to get everyone to cheer from the sidelines.

The ability to force Japan to give up the Philippine Islands was the result of mediation from the Vienna Government. To gain more benefits, Spain would have to fight for them on their own.

The attitude of Britannia was similar; just keeping Japan as a nominal younger brother from being wiped out was enough, as for other details, that was no concern of the London Government.

In a certain sense, Britannia had already gone to great lengths.

The British Government had drawn Japan southward to relieve the French of pressure, not to let the Japanese invade the Philippines.

Despite the fact that the British Government had acquiesced to the outcome after it had become a fait accompli, going rogue is still going rogue; the British might not have said anything, but they were certainly dissatisfied inside.

In a sense, the unilateral action of the Japanese Government also disrupted Britannia’s strategic deployment.

Had it not been for the Japanese Army’s southward invasion of the Philippines, Spain would not have resolved to join the Anti-French Alliance; without Spain’s participation, the Anti-French Alliance’s encircling strategy would not have been successful.

Without converging strategic forces, Napoleon IV would not have despaired, nor would he have hastily passed the blame and fled.

Had Napoleon IV not fled, France would not have surrendered so quickly.

If the French had chosen to fight to the end, even if they could not turn the tide, they could have dragged it out for a year and a half.

A year and a half may not seem long, but a lot can be done in that time. If the French had not surrendered so quickly, the British Government would not have been so passive after the war.

Although such reasoning was somewhat idealistic, there were still those who couldn’t help but think this way. At the very least, similar reports were not scarce in the newspapers of London.

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Ito Hirobumi said solemnly, “If your country continues to attack our fleets, we cannot guarantee that the handover will proceed in an orderly fashion, and your country will have to bear all the consequences resulting from this.”

The cards were on the table.

The biggest chip the Japanese Government now had was that the Japanese Army occupied most of the Philippine Islands.

If Spain wanted to obtain a relatively intact Philippines, they couldn’t do without Japanese cooperation.

Destruction is always easier than construction, and if the Japanese Army was left to its own devices, even if Spain managed to retake the Philippine Islands, it would be nothing but barren land.

Leaving aside infrastructure, just the hundreds of thousands of Spaniards held hostage by the Japanese Army were enough to make the Spanish Government proceed with caution.

The countries of Europe were watching from the side, and naturally, the Japanese did not dare to engage in mass slaughter openly. Not daring to act does not mean they had no way of playing dirty.

Borrowing the power of the Continental Alliance might suppress the Japanese, but it couldn’t scare the Native Tribes accustomed to living in the jungles.

To those who know no fear out of ignorance, the Japanese could easily incite and manipulate, completely capable of orchestrating a massacre through the hands of natives.

As long as they kept their hands clean and extracted themselves from the massacre, the Japanese Government could retreat unscathed.

In plain terms, it was because the Continental Alliance wasn’t willing to wage war for the sake of Spanish interests; it didn’t align with everyone’s benefits. As long as it looked decent on the surface, no one would delve too deeply.

There was a deeper reason why this could not be pursued: when it comes to colonial issues, the hands of all countries were not exactly clean.

No matter whether the dead were native or of Spanish descent, for the nations of Europe, there was no essential difference.

With Spain’s current situation, it was clearly incapable of enduring such turmoil. If over two hundred years of painstaking efforts were destroyed in an instant, regaining control of the Philippine Islands would be extremely difficult.

Once the natives’ hands were filled with the blood of the Spaniards, there would no longer be any room for reconciliation. Even if only to provide an explanation to their citizens, the Spanish Government would have to retaliate.

Under the back and forth cycle of slaughter, the Philippine Islands, which used to contribute millions of Divine Shields in revenue to the Spanish Government annually, had become a heavy economic burden.

Not only could the government’s finances not withstand this, but the Spanish nobility whose sources of wealth were cut off were equally unable to endure it.

Of course, should a massacre occur, the Japanese Government would also not have it easy.

Not only would it make mortal enemies of Spain, but the gradually improving international image would also be destroyed instantly. The infamy of being “cruel” and “savage” would lead them to a politically “lonely death.”

Including the current leader Great Britain, all would abandon them without hesitation. No country in the European world would associate with them, at least not in the short term.

In a sense, this was another high-stakes gamble. Ito Hirobumi wagered the future fate of both nations that the Spanish Government would cede.

“This is impossible,”

“There has never been a reason where a thief in one’s own home could rob without the owner’s resistance. Every shipload of goods your country now carries away is our wealth.

As a sovereign nation, the great Spain could never tolerate such a trampling of national sovereignty. We will not accept such threats.

Likewise, the righteous people all over the world would not tolerate such a thing happening.”

Federico’s slightly trembling voice revealed his inner turmoil.

The Japanese Government was mad enough to gamble, but the Spanish Government was very much sane, and it was impossible to take such a risk domestically.

At least the nobility and capitalists, who were the vested interests, would not allow it to happen.

The underconfident Federico could only continue to cling to the skin of the Continental Alliance, hoping for the interference of the Alliance countries to prevent the possibility of the Japanese taking desperate actions.

“Your Excellency misunderstands, I am merely stating facts and have no intention of threatening.

Our military power is limited, needing to defend against your country’s stealth attacks and also distribute forces to maintain security on the islands, which indeed is a bit more than we can handle.

Especially since your navy continuously attacks our merchant ships, causing prices on the islands to skyrocket, and social order is on the verge of collapse.

As for plundering your country’s wealth, that is entirely unfounded. We are only carrying away our own baggage and supplies, without touching a single cent of your country.

Your country’s attack actions have severely affected the progress of our army’s withdrawal and the peace and stability of the world.

For the safety of the people on the island, for the traditional friendship between our two countries, and for the quick elimination of misunderstandings. Out of humanitarian considerations, I only remind you of this.”

The poised Ito Hirobumi was clearly not to be trifled with. Using sophistry, he completely absolved the Japanese Government of responsibility.

What had been defined by the international community as an act of aggression in his mouth turned into a lightly narrated misunderstanding; the blatant plundering of wealth became an action in response to the withdrawal operations of the Continental Alliance; and the unadorned threats were transformed into the friendship between two countries.

Such a friendship, probably no normal person could endure. However, Ito Hirobumi still said it unflinchingly.

British representative Klaus said, “Today we are able to sit here precisely to solve problems. The core of the Philippine War, in fact, is still the ownership of the Philippine Islands.”

The issue of the archipelago’s sovereignty had been resolved, and the remaining disputes were but minor details.

“To better facilitate the negotiation process and avoid renewed conflict, I propose that both parties first sign a comprehensive ceasefire agreement.”

It had to be acknowledged that the allure of British Pounds was significant. Even as a consul of Britannia, Klaus bent over backward for “five hundred thousand bushels of rice.”

Thick skin doesn’t mean that problems can be resolved. Aggressive sophistry may dominate a debate, but this is not a debating competition.

While Ito Hirobumi managed to suppress the momentum of the Spanish representatives, he also provoked dissatisfaction among the delegates from European countries.

If there were to be a massacre, we would indeed turn a blind eye, but you can’t say it out loud. Not even hints are allowed; do we not need to save face!

“Nations only have interests” is not always true. The government that leads a nation is composed of people, who possess not only rationality but also emotions.

If emotions are overly provoked, the representatives of the countries might have an emotional outburst, and the Japanese Government would be doomed. From this perspective, Ito Hirobumi was playing with fire at this moment.

In this context, Klaus’s speech was very valuable. He made it clear to the representatives of the various countries: we have already made concessions, and the Philippine Islands belong to Spain, you can go back and report this.

As for the details, that is a matter between Japan and Spain. It doesn’t affect your interests, so please give us some face and don’t meddle indiscriminately.

When matched with the heavy gifts previously sent out by the Japanese Government, this became even more persuasive.

Though it amounts to “eating the old owner and the new,” it is necessary to get things done. We don’t ask for your active support, but at critical moments, a little distraction is surely possible!

Upon catching Federico’s plea for help, Governor Chandler frowned and slowly said, “Signing a ceasefire treaty is fine. However, the issue raised by Sir Federico regarding the Japanese Army’s alleged plundering cannot be ignored.

“I suggest limiting the number of ships that pass daily and having everyone send representatives to form a supervisory group to ensure that actual vicious plundering does not occur.”

Powerless to resist, the Spaniards lacked the confidence to gamble like the Japanese. Fully relying on Shinra’s intervention, Governor Chandler naturally had to propose a compromise.

Otherwise, Shinra won’t guarantee on behalf of Spain, would they? The Japanese Government surely wouldn’t dare to break the net with the fish, right?

International politics just don’t work that way. If you don’t strive for yourself, don’t expect others to help you fight for it.

If the Spanish Government truly had the nerve, they could have gambled on the premise that the Japanese Government wouldn’t dare act at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives on the island and the archipelago turning into ruins.

If they won, it would be a massive gain; if they lost, they’d suffer economically but benefit strategically.

Even if the Philippine Islands were ruined, Spain would only suffer a severe economic loss. Since the economic crisis had already erupted, it couldn’t get much worse.

If this could lead to Japan, their enemy, being ostracized by the international community and possibly declining, Spain would not lose strategically no matter what.

A country that doesn’t compromise and dares to fight to protect its interests would certainly earn great respect. It might even deter other nations that had ambitions over Spanish colonies.

Regrettably, the Spaniards did not dare to gamble. No matter how justifiable the reasons, the outcome was the same.

In the short term, such a compromise might be more beneficial to Spain; but in the long run, this compromise shook the position of the Spanish Empire among the great powers.

Even if at the bottom, they were still powers. Relying on the status of a great power, Spain could flourish in international affairs.

Once the great power status is lost, maintaining the Colonial Empire becomes an unknown. Unlike the Netherlands and Portugal, which could maintain their colonial empires through diplomacy, the countries eyeing Spanish colonies are not in Europe.