Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 984: Chapter 247, Game
 

“Since ancient times, interests have always been the best bridge for friendships, and as long as the interests are aligned, friendships are formed. It’s not that Governor Chandler likes to be crafty; he was compelled by the realities of his situation.”@@novelbin@@

“As the greatest victor of the continental wars, the Holy Roman Empire, though seemingly formidable, was actually in its most vulnerable state.”

“The established national policy of the Vienna Government was to focus on consolidation; consideration of expansion was fully off the table. Though the Philippine Islands were fertile, they were still insufficient to make the Vienna Government alter its national policy.”

“As a colonial governor, while considering national strategies, Chandler also had to mindful of the interests of the colonial consortium. In such a context, skillful management was required.”

“The original plan to seize opportunities was based on Spain’s defeat and Japan’s weak capabilities. Now, the situation has obviously shifted; Spain is indeed struggling to win the war, but the capabilities of the Japanese turned out to be unexpectedly strong.”

“Perhaps their combat effectiveness was not impressive, but they were willing to fight desperately! Just with the Empire’s power in the Southeast Asian region, even if it were possible to defeat the Japanese, it would result in heavy losses.”

“To the Holy Roman Empire, Japan was never a significant threat; the real danger was the British, lurking in the shadows, biding their time.”

“One misstep, and they’d turn this into a war where the British supplied the arms and the Japanese supplied the troops on their behalf.”

“The pitfalls of proxy wars, just think of the First Near Eastern War, the two Prusso-Russian Wars, and the recent British-Russian Afghan War, all of which demonstrate the traps scattered through them.”

“One by one, competitors were either utterly devastated or significantly weakened, even those who survived were greatly impaired.”

“Neither Britain nor Russia made moves against the Holy Roman Empire at its weakest moment, not because their governments appreciated the virtues of restraint, nor were their relations without conflict, but because they too were not at their best.”

“A war in Afghanistan caused both Britain and Russia to lose hundreds of thousands of troops and reaped negligible benefits while incurring significant financial burdens. Under these circumstances, even if they wanted to cause trouble, they had to maintain restraint.”

“In a sense, the Holy Roman Empire’s re-establishment owed much to the covertly manipulated proxy wars managed by the Vienna Government.”

“Perhaps when Franz initially traveled through time, he might have entertained the thought of thoroughly crushing the Japanese in a fit of energy. Now that was no longer possible. As a seasoned politician, any military action must be driven by interests.”

“Nowadays, Japanese were so impoverished that even a smooth conquest wouldn’t recoup the war expenses; a mishap could lead to severe losses.”

“If one does not want to enter the fray personally yet covets the fertile Philippine Islands, Spain’s value becomes apparent.”

“Britain supports the Japanese; Vienna supports the Spaniards, and no matter who wins or loses, there is a profit to be made; it’s merely a question of how much.”

“From the perspective of the Vienna Government, the greater the support the British Government lends to the Japanese, the better, as it escalates the tensions between England and Spain.”

“A Spain that’s antagonized both England and France yet retains certain strength indisputably makes for the best ally for the Holy Roman Empire.”

“It doesn’t matter if Spain was on a downward trajectory as long as it didn’t crash too quickly. If Spain were on the rise, Franz would dare not take it under.”

“Compared to the strategic gains, the interests in the Philippine Islands pale into insignificance. If it weren’t for the Spaniards coming forward, Governor Chandler could achieve nothing.”

“Commander, your worries are overblown; with the friendship between our countries, no shipyard would dare engage in reckless action.

“However, Southeast Asia differs from Europe; all the repair shops’ tools and spare parts come from our homeland. Specifically, the specifications for your country’s warships are different from ours, requiring custom-made parts, so the costs are slightly higher.”

“We’re not exploiting the situation. As you know, stockpiling spare parts is a considerable risk, and capitalists do it to turn a profit, so this price…”

After this explanation, Admiral Falkenhein had nothing to say. Exclusive spare parts and maintenance tools were fully prepared, revealing the obvious intent to exploit.

If it was just the higher costs of repairs, Falkenhein was willing to pay more. After all, time was critical on the battlefield, and the fuller the shipyard’s spare parts stock, the faster the repairs could proceed, making it justifiable to earn a little more.

Now it was clearly not just about the money; mere high repair costs were not enough to make Admiral Falkenhein plead submissively.

Seeing Governor Chandler not speak straightforwardly, Falkenhein understood it was for the sake of face. As the leader of the Continental Alliance, plotting to take a subordinate’s colony, if word got out, Vienna couldn’t show its face.

The best method was undoubtedly to have them volunteer the offer. Then, the Vienna Government could pay a “reasonable price,” saving face for everyone.

Suppressing his displeasure, Admiral Falkenhein unethically said, “Governor, for our countries’ friendship, and to thank your government’s substantial support, we are willing to open up the Philippine Islands’ market.

“As you know, our financial situation has been horrible. If your empire could offer help, we are willing to sell some islands.”

“You misunderstand us, Governor; we harbor no covetous thoughts towards your empire’s colonies, nor does the Holy Roman Empire eye any ally’s colony.

“If your country is indeed financially troubled, we are also happy to offer help. For the sake of world peace and stability, the Empire is initiating a global strategy, and if you don’t mind, we could lease a few military ports from you.

“Rest assured, Governor, our troops would only be there to maintain regional peace and stability and would not interfere with your governance of the colonies.”

Chandler’s heart bled to let this opportunity go unabated. But there was no choice; the Holy Roman Empire must appear conscientious, otherwise, it would trigger panic in the European world.

With Spain opening the market, it was enough for the colonial consortium; there was no chance to covertly seize the Philippine Islands.

Even if Spain would willingly give them up, the Holy Roman Empire couldn’t take them now. Even considering purchasing the islands was out of the question, especially not at this time.

Don’t forget, the Philippine Islands were still in Japanese hands! Once purchasing the territorial rights, the Holy Roman Empire would be dragged into the mire by Spain.

Governor’s Mansion of Southeast Asia was unable to reap large benefits, but that did not mean the Holy Roman Empire gained none. After all, Spain, an old colonial power, still possessed numerous islands of strategic value, despite its decline.

Limited by power, many islands were insignificant in the hands of the Spaniards, but they became priceless once in the hands of the Holy Roman Empire.

Since the end of the war in Europe, a global strategy had been put on the agenda. It had not yet been implemented, primarily due to financial constraints. However, after digesting the spoils of war in a few years, launching a comprehensive global strategy was imperative.

…

Austria and the West were making trades, and neither Britain nor Japan were idle. The Japanese, having proven their strength, had evidently risen in status in the eyes of the British Government.

Downing Street

Foreign Minister George, “Judging from the strength displayed by the Japanese in the naval battle in the Philippine Sea, they have already managed to balance the Spaniards.

Even due to the strong intervention of the Japanese, the dominant position of the Holy Roman Empire in Southeast Asia was also impacted.

The Vienna Government will not let this situation continue. If we do not intervene, it will only be a matter of time before the Japanese are forced out of Southeast Asia.

Once the strategy in Southeast Asia fails, the Japanese will only have the option to move northward, inevitably leading to a war with the Qing Empire. Then, we will have to make a choice.

For the sake of the Empire’s interest, our best option is to support the Qing Empire in the Far East to restrain the Russians and support the Japanese in Southeast Asia to balance Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.”

Undoubtedly, this was the most optimistic scenario. By supporting these two lesser powers, Britain would emerge from its current awkward position, achieving an ideal state.

However, a plan was always just a plan and actualizing it was not that simple.

Although Spain was in decline, it was not devoid of the ability to fight. Despite its corrupt bureaucratic group, its comprehensive national strength was still above Japan’s.

Especially since Spain was part of Europe, backed by a Continental Alliance, once the Spanish Government managed to diplomatically mobilize support from other countries in the alliance, the southward move by Japan was doomed to fail.

The London Government was currently striving to join the alliance and had achieved certain results; it was impossible for them to directly confront the alliance for Japan.

The plan for the south was riddled with uncertainties, and the plan for the north was even more tragic. The biggest characteristic of the Far Eastern Empire was its timidity; the Russians would be content as long as the Russians did not trouble them, and actively looking for trouble with the Russians was extremely difficult for them.

Watching Britain and Russia fighting like dogs in India, they were too happy to get involved.

With so many problems, it still did not prevent this “plan” from becoming a strategic part of the London Government’s diplomacy. If it succeeded, it would be a huge gain; if it failed, there was nothing to lose—why not employ such a plan?

Though termed as support, all the arms and equipment were bought by them with real silver and British Pounds. What the British Government truly offered was merely diplomatic verbal support.

The response of the stock market was telling; since the London Government implemented this strategic plan, domestic armament industry stocks had risen by eighteen percent, and machinery equipment export industry stock prices had also increased by nine points.

Prime Minister Gladstone nodded, “Agree to the Japanese request. Since the Holy Roman Empire can help the Spaniards repair warships, our shipyards in the Far Eastern region can also help the Japanese repair warships, but we must keep a limit, the Empire cannot directly participate in the war.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office should accelerate our arrangements in the Far Eastern region, provoking a Qing-Russian conflict as much as possible to lessen our pressure in India.

Command the Governor of India to increase support for the guerrilla teams in Central Asian Countries, raising the ruling costs for the Russians.

When necessary, we can offer a certain amount of loans to the Japanese Government, or issue war bonds for them, with an amount set at no more than 20 million British Pounds. Let them mortgage their customs duties; the risk should not be too high.”

It was urgent, as the Russians’ Central Asia Railway had already begun construction. The contractor was the Austrian Railway Company, and as long as there were no major disruptions, the completion was just a matter of time.

Everyone knew that once the Central Asia Railway was completed, it was time for the Russians to move south again. Although the railway would not be completed during Gladstone’s term, if they did nothing now, they would bear the political stain in the future.

For the sake of their reputation, both present and posthumous, the Gladstone Cabinet had been extraordinarily industrious lately. One seemingly perfect strategic plan after another was being rolled out.

As for whether they could succeed, that was not within their consideration at the moment; as long as it seemed feasible, it was enough. If it failed in the future, it would be the fault of an incompetent successor government, not theirs.

Foreign Minister George, “According to intelligence collected from various sources, the Vienna Government is busy handling domestic affairs and has no plan to directly intervene in this war.

Now the naval battle has reached a stalemate, and soon the fight will shift to land. The Japanese are willing to fight desperately. As long as Vienna stays out of it, the laboriously far-reaching Spaniards cannot outlast them.

The Foreign Office is looking for a suitable opportunity to mediate this war, to have the Japanese withdraw while they are ahead, to avoid escalating the war.”

Compared to Spain, Japan’s greatest advantage was its population. If it weren’t for the fact lying before us, who could imagine that Spain, which had a population of eight million in the 16th century, now had a total population of less than eighteen million.

Looking at the population, it’s clear why Spain’s decline was not unreasonable. What happened in between is not worth mentioning; they were essentially self-destructive, leading Britain, which once had less than half their population, to now almost double theirs.

In contrast, Japan’s situation was much better, with a population of over forty million, meeting the requirements for a contemporary great power.

It could be said that Spain had already lost half the battle at sea before it was even fought. In the upcoming battles, the Japanese Government would definitely leverage its own advantages, luring the Spaniards to land for a decisive battle.

After all, compared to the precious navy, there was an endless supply of cheap land forces; the Japanese Government could afford to lose them.