Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 1116: Chapter 130: War Throughout the Board

Intentionally leaking the war declaration date in advance, Franz once again made historical precedent unintentionally.

As an Emperor, every move made by Franz inevitably became subject to political interpretation. Actions that seemed playful in nature were in fact yet another struggle between monarchical and papal powers.

The struggle between monarchical power and papal authority in the European world had persisted for thousands of years. The religious reformation that began in the Middle Ages was premised on the words of Jesus: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”

However, what belonged to God and what belonged to Caesar still lacked a clear demarcation.

The general consensus was between the religious and the secular, yet religion in Europe had already integrated into people’s daily lives, making the separation of church and state virtually indistinguishable.

Whether monarchical power was superior to ecclesiastical power or vice versa, within the Holy Roman Empire, there was never a definitive statement.

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Even when Franz had once confiscated Church property, he had done so through trading with the Pope, obtaining papal consent to force bishops to comply, rather than acting in the name of the government.

Although the goal had been achieved, such maneuvers could work once or twice but could not be a long-term reliance on the Roman Curia.

Hence, in the subsequent decades, Franz had been quietly weakening the Church’s influence, attempting to bring religion under the control of the government.

Now, it was almost time to lay the cards on the table. The deliberately chosen date of the declaration of war was a clear political signal.

It was to make everyone realize the reality, that even the Pope had to act according to the Emperor’s will, so on what grounds should the Church consider itself above worldly matters?

Peoples’ hearts are always changing, and boundaries are constantly being pushed. Decades ago, such implications would not have been effective.

But now, it was different. The Church’s power had significantly declined, and the government had long since intervened in religious matters, only not in the open.

Bringing it to the forefront was not only to show the domestic Catholics but also the Protestants in the north.

The main goal was to tell everyone: within the Holy Roman Empire, the Church must listen to the Emperor, making religious conflict pointless.

As for leaking the war declaration date and allowing the British to prepare in advance, that was hardly a concern.

Colonies were already on the verge of running rivers of blood; defenses that could have been prepared were already in place, and those that had not did not need to be now.

…

Regardless of how tense the situation was, the fog was still that same fog. Even though the air was already filled with the smell of gunpowder, compared to the dense fog, it was hardly worth mentioning.

The roaring sound of mechanical turbines was incessant, and ships came and went like countless stars. Beneath the veil of fog, the Port of London was as busy as ever, seemingly unaffected by the situation.

Even impacted by the war, the traffic of ships arriving and departing had increased, only the direction of goods trade had shifted.

The ships that had once plied the English Channel were now setting sail for the ocean, engaging in long-distance trade.

The ships that still chose to stay were not involved in import and export but had taken up passenger transport instead.

In fact, ever since the news of the Suez Canal attack reached Europe, trade between Britain and other European countries had ceased, and the evacuation of immigrants was put on the agenda.

The rise of every major city inevitably required drawing resources from its surroundings. As the premier international metropolis, London was no exception.

The city was home to millions of immigrants from all over Europe, and as the steps of war drew closer, these expatriates naturally could no longer stay.

Fortunately, these people came from more than a dozen countries; otherwise, evacuating so many people at once would have been a challenge to accommodate.

The dense fog enveloped the dock, visibility had already dropped below fifty meters. The towering lighthouse had begun its endless task, guiding every ship with due diligence.

With the approaching roar of ships, the number of pedestrians converging on the dock also increased. One by one, they were laden with large and small bags, as if fleeing disaster.

A middle-aged man in green clothing scolded harshly, “Hurry up and keep up, Andrey. If you miss this boat, you boy are going to be stuck here…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the young Andrey tossed his head in disdain and retorted, “Would staying here be so bad?”

Feeling his dignity challenged, the middle-aged man cursed in anger, “Andrey, you’re truly a fool.

Don’t forget you’re Sicilian, if you ask such an idiotic question again, don’t say you are my son Rudolf.

Look at this damned weather, where can it compare to Sicily? And look at the gazes of the people around…”

In name, it was evacuation, but in reality, it was an escape. With everyone struggling to care for themselves, naturally, no one had the heart to concern themselves with others disciplining their sons.

Scenes like this were unfolding in countless families. It had to be admitted that in these times, Britannia was indeed filled with allure for the common folk.

Those who had grown up in London as second and third-generation immigrants had already developed an affection for the country, and the concept of a homeland had all but faded away.

Unfortunately, as an Island Country, Britannia inherently lacked enough inclusivity; it couldn’t even accommodate the Irish, let alone these foreign wanderers.

Discrimination was everywhere, especially as the steps of war drew closer, making the immigrants’ lives even harder. They faced various types of surveillance, questioning, and even arbitrary detention.

Whether it was the distress of receiving strange looks or concerns about the future, countless immigrants were forced to return to their homelands.

In fact, those leaving now were either poor devils or too greedy, hoping for a stroke of luck.

The real wise ones had sold off their assets in The British Isles at the first signs of deteriorating conditions, preparing to flee.

Greed came with a price. Without cutting losses in time, now they could only weep as they sold off their possessions at a major loss, symbolically recouping a bit of the cost, or even having their properties seized.

From the conversation, it was clear that Rudolf and his son, Andrey, were not wealthy. Anyone with even a small fortune had bought their own boat tickets to flee by now.

Without a choice, the Holy Roman Empire had prepared a date for declaring war, and the media had leaked it. Even those slow to react knew that if they didn’t flee now, they would really be stuck.

There were naturally those who chose to stay and share Britannia’s fate, but such fools were definitely few.

Without a choice, even if you wanted to stay, it required acceptance by others.

In fact, returning to one’s country at this time also faced various issues.

Not only did employment need to be resolved, but there was also surveillance, giving a bitter feeling of being unwelcome both at home and abroad.

But Rudolf had no choice, staying in Britannia meant facing not just discrimination but also potential life-threatening danger.

Thanks to the flourishing British press, Rudolf knew that The British Isles had limited food production and had long depended on imports.

The very target of the war was the world’s leading agricultural export country, and if the conflict were to continue for a long time, it might even lead to famine.

Despite the British Government’s repeated assurances that they had vast colonies and many grain-producing allies to guarantee domestic supplies, the threat loomed large.

But Rudolf could hardly muster any confidence in the British Government after the Irish workmate next door repeatedly exposed its dark history, time and again.

During the United Kingdom’s heyday, just one famine alone starved millions of its own people to death. What would happen if there were a war?

Indeed, in the eyes of the average person, the British Isles were one and the same; Ireland was also an important part of the Great Britain Empire.

The British Government wouldn’t publicize the complex web of grudges and affections. The average Briton only understood part of the story, and Rudolf, seeking a livelihood abroad, was even more clueless.

In comparison, at least back home there was a guarantee of food. His homeland, Sicily, was conducive to agricultural production and one of the few agricultural export areas in the Italian Area.

The Holy Roman Empire was the world’s foremost agricultural exporter, and even if war were to break out, it was highly unlikely to resort to pillaging food on Sicily.

Anyway, the Kingdom of Sicily was only a minor participant in this war, so the likelihood of its homeland turning into a battlefield was slim.

The government’s approach to this war was probably not going to be full-throttle. Even if returning home meant being subjected to surveillance and investigation, it was likely just for show.

There were so many places that needed spies; as long as the British weren’t out of their minds, they wouldn’t focus their intelligence-gathering efforts on the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

This poignant scene occurred not only on the docks of London but at almost all of Europe’s major ports.

However, the British living on the European Continent were far fewer than those from the Continent seeking their fortunes in Britain; thus, the Port of London seemed particularly uproarious.

…

Time flew, and the annual Christmas season descended once again. Under the festive holiday atmosphere, the stench of gunpowder in Europe had somewhat dissipated.

Had it not been for the media uproar over the Vienna Government’s planned date of declaration of war, one might think the uninitiated would believe the matter was nearly over.

Under the intense festive spirit, both sides seemed to have pressed pause in unison; even colonial conflicts had halted.

The only unfortunate ones were the Russian Army in the Far East. Since the Japanese military didn’t take a Christmas break, they had to continue their bitter struggle.

Of course, this wasn’t too much of a concern. The Orthodox Church celebrated Christmas next month, so there was still time for sentiment then.

St. Petersburg, the Tsarist Government likewise received the Holy Roman Empire’s war declaration plans. With the impending steps of war, the debate over routes became a hot topic in Russia again.

The essence of military technological innovation was to study how to kill more efficiently.

The use of machine guns, trenches, and barbed wire tactics indeed helped the Russians to stabilize their position; but the emergence of tanks and armor opened a new door for the Japanese Army.

As a result, the casualties suffered by both the Japanese and Russians were much higher than in history.

These were small issues to the Tsarist Government, which had plenty of grey livestock; and Japan, with its strong Bushido spirit, likewise possessed an unyielding determination.

Both sides could afford the casualties; the human wave tactic lost its effectiveness overnight, leaving the Tsarist Government in a plight.

But these were minor concerns compared to the real issue that shook Russia: supply logistics.

With the situation escalating, relying on the Vienna Government for smuggling strategic materials was clearly no longer feasible.

What could be secured for the moment was only what had been hoarded before, and once that was used up, they would be forced to undertake the difficult task of transporting supplies from the European mainland.

Thanks to the relentless efforts of French laborers, the Siberian Railway was finally completed and opened before the end of the year.

The railway that was laden with great hopes didn’t play the role everyone expected and even during the commencement of its operation, an accident occurred.

If not for the quick reaction of the driver, the train that veered off the rails could have led to an unforeseen disaster.

Faults appearing during the inauguration are a strong testament to Russian manufacturing, recognizable miles away by anyone.

It might be hard to believe, but there were no issues with the train or the tracks; the main cause of the accident was the lack of compatibility between the two.

“Miss by an inch, lose by a mile.”

The fact once again proved that Russians were not fit for precision manufacturing. Even with the complete train production technology imported from Sacred Shinra, they still faced unexpected issues when it mattered the most.

Since the tracks couldn’t be altered, the responsibility of resolving compatibility issues fell upon the trains. Consequently, all the trains that had been produced in advance now needed to be sent back for re-manufacturing.

It was just a minor adjustment, not requiring too much investment; the greatest cost was time.

This was just the beginning. In the future, the logistic challenges of supplying hundreds of thousands of troops at the front line would only increase.

Even if they could ensure a steady supply line and defeat the Japanese, they couldn’t dream of pushing eastward any time soon.

The only reason being, the longer the battlefront, the greater the logistic pressure they would have to face.

Moreover, Japan was an island nation surrounded by sea. A land victory would only count as a partial victory. It would require a naval victory to truly bring things to a close.

Everyone had confidence in the Russian Empire and was not worried about failing to defeat the Japanese. However, funding those war plans would require a massive amount of money.

Different from the past, the primary financiers were now also at war with the British. No matter how good the relationship was, in times like these, everyone looked out for themselves first.

“Fundraising all on your own”—just the thought of it was terrifying. If it really came to that, the financial market of the Russian Empire would be completely drained.

In comparison, the southern campaigns seemed much more promising. The Sacred Shinra Army also had plans to attack India, and they could join forces.

Politics was tied to interests. With the Russian Army’s attack being of enough strategic value, they could naturally turn to the Vienna Government for more funding.

When considering the fate of a nation, it was not something that could be decided in a few words. Deliberation, research, and endless meetings were necessary…

For the indecisive Nicholas II, the relentless disputes over strategic direction were undoubtedly torturous.

The pros and cons of both paths lay before him. It seemed a simple choice between two options, to weigh the advantages and disadvantages and pick the most beneficial. However, Nicholas II couldn’t do it.

There was no room for compromise. On the battlefield, time waits for no one. If preparations were not made in advance, a missed opportunity would truly be missed.

…

Without any surprises, the day after Christmas, the Canal Attack Case Investigation Team publicized their findings, which clearly pointed to the British Government as the perpetrator.

Without waiting for any explanation from the British Government, the Vienna Government delivered an ultimatum to the British, demanding the handover of the culprits within 24 hours and compensation for economic losses amounting to 28 million Divine Shield.

Following suit, the countries of the Continental Alliance each presented their list of damages, demanding compensation from the British Government.

Handing over the culprits was out of the question, as the British Government insisted on their ignorance of the matter from the start. If they handed over anyone, it would be akin to an admission of guilt for orchestrating the canal attack.

Compensating financially was even more impossible. With war looming, where would one find the logic to fund the enemy on the verge of battle?