Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 1104: Chapter 118: Diplomacy First

The Russo-Japanese War was merely a minor intervention; its impact on the international situation paled in comparison to the highly scrutinized Anglo-Austrian conflict.

Since Britannia withdrew from the free trade system, relations between the two countries had deteriorated sharply, and frictions that had been suppressed by both countries had recently surfaced.

Especially the civil media, which seemed to enjoy stirring up trouble without fear of consequences, not only fueled the conflict but also exaggerated it, and some even publicly called for “war.”

The air was filled with a tense atmosphere, and those who were slightly sensitive to the situation knew that the footsteps of war were approaching.

It wasn’t that people hadn’t tried to mediate; many experts, scholars, and social celebrities had issued calls, hoping the governments of both countries could sit down for a proper talk.

But it was of no use at all; the core interests of both sides clashed too significantly for either side to make substantial concessions.

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If a negotiation could have been reached, both sides would have already compromised. Who would want to throw real money into the bottomless pit of war, thinking everyone is eager for it?

Signing a peace agreement was something Franz had no objection to; even maintaining the status quo would have been acceptable.

The problem was that the British dared not agree. The British Isles were so small, inherently limiting their developmental potential.

Without any restrictions, following the current situation, the disparity in strength between the two sides would only grow.

The British Government was unwilling to make concessions, expecting Shinra to self-cripple themselves in combat, which was even more unrealistic. The Vienna Government’s bottom line was clear: at most, maintain the status quo and non-interference.

Since no compromise could be reached at the negotiation table, the only option remaining was the law of the jungle, to determine the winner on the battlefield.

When one door burns, the disaster spreads to the fish in the pond.

With Britannia and Shinra, two major bullies, heading for a showdown, the European world naturally couldn’t expect peace. Picking sides is an eternal topic.

Supporting one side inevitably meant offending the other. To remain neutral in the struggle for hegemony, one first needed the strength to support it.

Regrettably, only a few countries possessed such strength, even fewer in Europe.

For smaller countries, “picking sides” was tantamount to a test of life and death. Making the wrong choice might not spell the end of a nation, but the fall of its government was almost certain.

The most pleasant picking of sides was probably during the anti-French wars about a decade ago.

When the Vienna Government came out to rally support, the overall situation was practically settled. No sooner had they chosen their side than the war ended.

Now, however, in the Anglo-Austrian War, it was genuinely hard to see who would come out on top.

Both sides had their advantages, and either could emerge as the ultimate victor, or it was even possible that neither could gain the upper hand, ending with both sides suffering.

Surrounding the war’s outcomes, a plethora of military experts were conducting analyses, with each reasoning seeming just as valid as the next.

This truly tested everyone’s judgment. Apart from those small countries who had followed Shinra early and secured their camps, the rest had to choose their allegiance anew or, one might say, gamble their nation’s fate.

First in line were naturally the Nordic Federation, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Besides these three, other countries had supported Shinra in the previous round.

Not to say that everyone got to feast on meat, but as victors of the anti-French wars, following Shinra at least got them a sip of the broth.

In this respect, the Vienna Government performed much better than the British. A simple glance at history books would tell you, allies who sided with Britannia didn’t just suffer—they were often left half-crippled.

Surviving without being betrayed by an ally was considered a blessing from God; breaking even was a stroke of immense good luck.

Even if there were spoils of war to be divided, pitfalls would exist everywhere. It seemed that if the British didn’t create conflicts, they would feel uncomfortable.

With such a striking contrast in place, and having already mixed with Shinra and reaped tangible benefits, the possibility of these countries switching sides was minuscule.

As neutral countries, the Netherlands, the Nordic Federation, and Portugal were in an awkward position.

From an interest perspective, these three countries had no core interest conflicts with Anglo-Austria, nor any deep-seated hatred, seeming like they could side with anyone.

Geographically, all three were tragic cases, being coastal nations along the Atlantic Ocean.

This was awkward, as they faced threats from Shinra on land and from Britain at sea. Whichever side they took, it seemed like a trap.

Undoubtedly, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the Nordic Federation were the unfortunate fishes that got hurt when the city gate caught fire.

Relatively speaking, Portugal was a bit luckier due to its geographic location, far from the European Continent and separated from Shinra by the French-Spanish.

Even if war broke out, they wouldn’t become a battlefield. As long as they didn’t act too actively, they might just manage to muddle through.

The Nordic Federation was passable, being a mid-sized country at least. Stubbornly refusing to pick a side, neither Shinra nor Britain could do much about them.

Clearing them out would be too difficult; the returns wouldn’t justify the costs. Nobody wanted to fight guerillas in the Swedish wilds, at least not until the victory was decided.

They might face oppression in the future, but it wouldn’t be too severe. As long as they behaved sufficiently, enduring a few years would see them through.

The most tragic was undoubtedly the Netherlands, positioned right between Britannia and Shinra, close to both.

Support the British, and the Holy Roman Empire’s troops could march in the same day; support the Holy Roman Empire, and the Royal Navy could teach them a lesson within minutes.

If the British Government was bold enough to launch a landing operation, then the Netherlands would be one of the primary choices.

Of course, Belgium next door was also an option. But since Belgium had chosen its side early and was a direct subordinate, the Vienna Government would definitely take care of it.

Not to mention the many military airfields in Belgium, which alone were worth the Vienna Government’s investment.

After all, to bomb The British Isles from there was too perfect, serving as a frontline position.

Theoretically, launching a counterattack from France was also a good choice, using the hatred between France and Austria.

Unfortunately, this was unsuitable for the British; England and France were also arch-enemies, and their public support wasn’t necessarily much better.

Moreover, pushing from France all the way to Shinra was too far. It couldn’t leverage the element of surprise and would have to rely on a straightforward trench warfare.

The disparity in the strength of the land forces between the two sides was too great; any British Government with intelligence wouldn’t foolishly think of engaging Shinra in a land battle.

Even if they were obstinate enough to initiate a landing operation, it would have more political propaganda value than military significance. They would just make a token gesture of striking back, just to appease the domestic front.

This had actually happened during the two World Wars in the original timeline; for political reasons, the British had launched several costly battles.

Though they didn’t achieve remarkable military success, they indeed succeeded in betraying their allies!

Franz fully understood the dilemma of the Netherlands, but politics was heartless and the pressure that needed to be applied was applied fully.

Under the great currents, nobody, not even the Dutch or Franz himself, could remain detached.

As international tensions continued to escalate, Emperor Franz, semi-retired, had to regularly make appearances to boost everyone’s confidence.

There was no choice, as this time the navy was the protagonist.

Just as the British wanted to cheat the Shinra Navy into leaving, Franz equally wanted to trick the British Navy into joining, relying on combined air-sea operations to secure victory.

Unfortunately, neither group was easy to cheat. Even when the Vienna Government invited under the guise of naval exchanges, the British only brought out some outdated battleships as a token.

Those ships were worthless; Franz wouldn’t even bother to look at them, even if a war broke out.

Everyone was clever and cautiously guarded. Trying to seek opportunistic victories was simply not feasible.

As challengers, however, to win the war the Shinra Navy had to proactively engage the British.

It wasn’t just others who were skeptical; even Franz himself lacked confidence in his own navy. His daring challenge was based on his initial strategy to rely on numbers.

Learning from the Americans in World War II, it was not considered a win until the end, when one could truly celebrate victory.

In the Vienna Palace, Franz asked while wielding a large brush, “After we released the news, what has been the international reaction?”

On closer inspection, the painting was a traditional ink wash, which wouldn’t be surprising in East Asia, but in Europe, it was quite unusual.

This was elementary stuff, perhaps due to his age, Franz had grown increasingly capricious.

Aside from maintaining rationality in politics, he entirely indulged himself in his personal life. In a world with few entertainments, it wasn’t strange to pick up old hobbies.

As for his hobbies being too eccentric and drawing attention, Franz no longer considered that a concern.

The only regret was that Franz’s painting skills were not top-notch; under his artistic modifications, the original “Birds admiring the Phoenix” had turned into “Chickens pecking grains.”

It did not matter since the people present couldn’t tell the difference between a common chicken and a phoenix. Whether it would distort everyone’s aesthetic understanding was not a concern for Franz.

In fact, Franz turned to ink painting out of necessity. His oil painting skills were also inadequate, too embarrassing to show publicly. He could only indulge in what others did not understand, conveniently displaying prowess to confuse people.

In high society, if one lacked an artistic touch, it was easy to be scorned as a bumpkin.

Professionals might spot discrepancies, but that was overthinking it. He doubted whether auctioning one of the pieces would garner high prices if stamped with Franz’s impression, potentially worth more than a master’s genuine works.

Art that could withstand the market’s test was true art. Those who doubted the authenticity of the works were simply not cultivated enough in the arts.

Accustomed to the Emperor’s peculiar hobbies, everyone adjusted. A few incomprehensible pieces of calligraphy and painting hardly counted as anything serious.

Foreign Minister Leo stepped forward and responded, “Your Majesty, the international reaction has been intense. No country, including our allies, wants us to engage in war with the British.

Since the message went out, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ phones have been overwhelmed with calls, all inquiring about the situation.

Of them all, the Dutch have been the most proactive, working overnight with Belgium, Spain, the Nordic Federation, and over ten other countries, preparing for diplomatic mediation.”

A possibility of war that disrupted the entire European world’s sleep was indeed a record created by Franz.

But it was no surprise, as a war between Shinra and Britain would mean losses for every European nation, differing only in the extent of damage.

Not to mention, maritime trade would be impossible for all. Once war erupted, mutual blockades would be inevitable.

If Shinra wanted to blockade Britain, it would have to involve the other European countries, or the effort would be in vain.

British actions were the same, merely severing the Holy Roman Empire’s overseas trade without blockading other European nations, was that even a blockade?

With their overseas trade severed, the two big bullies might not necessarily react, but the many smaller states would definitely suffer heavy losses.

If the situation were short-lived, people could grit their teeth and get through it; but if the war dragged on without a clear victory or defeat, everyone would be tragic.

Especially for those countries that relied on maritime trade, they could collapse directly because of the war.

In such a context, it was normal for everyone to react strongly. If there were no reaction, that would be the problem.

Having made the final point, Franz set down his pen, picked up a towel to wipe his hands, and slowly said, “Let’s officially make contact with the various nations!

“Let them attempt diplomatic mediation, and don’t stop them. Without experiencing failure, nations won’t easily comply.

“Tell them, as long as the British are willing to maintain the status quo, we can sign a peace agreement with them.

“When necessary, to show our sincere love for peace, the Foreign Ministry can completely make a unilateral promise not to initiate war, buying time for the construction of warships.”

In the face of international interests, treaties are just scraps of paper, and promises are even more of a joke.

Over the recent decades, the Vienna Government has never broken a treaty, but that’s only because the stakes of breaking them were not high enough.

When it came to world domination, that was a completely different matter. As long as they could cheat the British and lay the foundation for winning the war, it was worth sacrificing the government’s credibility.

Well, Franz had no hopes. The British were not fools; maintaining the status quo did not include halting shipbuilding.

Even just with the current batch of battleships in service, the Royal Navy could barely cope without losing control.

But if they were told to follow the old calendar and build a dozen Dreadnoughts each year, the British Government would simply go berserk.

There was no doubt, Franz could do such a thing. At this crossroads, he could no longer afford to back down.

Domestic interest groups, both large and small, now wanted to overthrow the British and share the spoils, it wasn’t something that could be retreated from so easily.

Foreign Minister Leo: “Very well, Your Majesty! I’ll implement it right away and ensure that the responsibility for starting the war is thrown onto the British.”

Although the Vienna Government had developed detailed war plans, the exact time to launch the war was still undetermined.

However, one thing was certain: the later the war erupted after the dropping started, the better.

In this context, shifting the blame for starting the war onto the British had shifted from impossible to possible.

All they needed to do was to delay; time was on the side of Shinra. The Vienna Government could afford to wait, but that didn’t mean the British could.

According to the most common theory, whoever couldn’t bear it and initiated the war first was the instigator of the war.

As for causes and consequences, it was best to simply ignore them; the common people didn’t think so much.

If it were just a common war, who started it wouldn’t matter much. This time was different; a war between Shinra and Britain would affect a whole host of innocent bystanders.

Having encountered an undeserved disaster, they needed a means to vent, to release the grievances in their hearts.

Although being the world’s hegemon means attracting curses, letting the British take the blame was still better than coming out and drawing hatred themselves.