Chapter 211: Chapter 98: The Snipe and the Clam at Loggerheads

Translator: 549690339

Austria and Bavaria went to war, and the news shocked the entire European Continent.

Although everyone knew that the relationship between the two countries had broken down, the accumulated disputes were not enough to trigger a war. That left only one explanation—Austria intended to unify Germany by force.

The pretext for the war was obvious to many, who speculated that Austria’s strategy to rebuild Holy Rome had been bankrupted by Bavaria, prompting Austria to brazenly resort to force.

London

Upon receiving Bavaria’s plea for help, the British Government was first shocked, then resolved to intervene, followed by a headache.

“Austria seeks to forcibly unify the German Region, and they have now taken the first step. We must stop their actions; the balance in the European Continent must not be disturbed!” Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon said sternly.

Foreign Minister Thomas analyzed, “Prime Minister, the current situation is quite troublesome. It must be said that Austria has chosen a good time, with the Russians occupying the main attentions of the French and ourselves.

Even if we want to intervene, we can only do so verbally for a long time to come.

If Austria dares to make a move against Bavaria now, it is very likely that they have reached an agreement with the Russians. It will be hard to make them let go using diplomatic pressure alone.”

An England, France, and Russia ceasefire? Such a possibility indeed exists, but it is premised on Austria unifying the German Region. Currently, just attacking Bavaria is insufficient to make the three parties come to an immediate compromise.

Home Secretary Henry John Temple suggested, “There are many states within the German Confederation, and these small states can be quite strong if united, in addition to the Kingdom of Prussia. Once these forces are mobilized, Austria does not have the ability to eliminate them swiftly.

To interfere with the German Region, our troops need not necessarily march. We just need to unite these states and hold Austria back.

After the Near East war is over, it won’t be too late to mediate. Perhaps using this opportunity to kick Austria out of the German Region could also be a good choice.”

Minister of Army Stanley objected, “Difficult. Just the messes created by us, France, and Ottoman’s alliance in forming the Allied Forces are numerous.

With so many states in the German Region, full of contradictions among themselves, uniting them is not an easy task.

The wars in the Balkan Peninsula have proven that without sincere cooperation, it is easy to be defeated one by one by the enemy.

Austria’s influence in the German Region is too substantial, and now their assault on Bavaria in the name of national unity has gained the support of German Region nationalists.

Under these circumstances, even if the states of the German Region could unite, the combat power they could unleash would be greatly diminished.”

This was an intractable dilemma. As long as soldiers lacked the will to fight, one could not expect them to unleash any significant combat power on the battlefield.

Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon said, “Regardless of whether they have combat power, let’s first get them organized. As long as we can hold the Austrians back, that will suffice.

Let the Foreign Office communicate with other European nations as soon as possible. Surely, no one wants to see Austria unify the German Region. We shall join hands and intervene together to force Austria to stop this war that undermines European stability.”

Paris

Napoleon III had an even more intense reaction to Austria’s military actions; if it were not for the insufficient troop strength at hand, he would have immediately intervened.

Home Minister Persigny proposed, “Your Majesty, the German Region is not so easily unified. The Austrians likely don’t have the strength to do so. Waiting until they are both severely weakened is our best opportunity to strike.

We could also take advantage of the situation to annex the territories west of the Rhine River. Now, we shouldn’t stop Austria’s actions, but rather encourage them to continue fighting.”

Without hesitation for too long, Napoleon III made up his mind.

“Right. This war cannot stop immediately. Secretly send someone to negotiate with Austria, letting them fight boldly.

On the surface, we will still stand in unison with other nations, placing diplomatic pressure on the Austrian Government, encouraging each German Nation to fiercely resist Austria as much as possible.”

Interests are always the eternal theme between nations. When to intervene in this war is determined by interest.

The French are different from the British. The British strategy dictates that they are unlikely to expand on the European Continent; maintaining the balance among European nations is their goal.

The French, however, aim to dominate the European Continent. They have long coveted the German Region’s territories—how could they let go when the opportunity presents itself now?

Although the German Region’s states are small, their collective strength is not weak. If these states are not allowed to wear each other down with Austria, where would France’s opportunity lie?

Napoleon III wished to play the Fisherman, and interests had already determined that England and France’s stances were divergent; close cooperation is out of the question.

Frankfurt

To send troops or not is a dilemma.

Whom to help with troops is yet another dilemma.

The smooth talk of Prime Minister Felix was not meaningless; at least the capitalists of Frankfurt believed that a unified Germany would better serve everyone’s interests.

You can’t nurture a monster in shallow waters. The capitalists of Frankfurt aspired to advance further and needed a larger market to do so.

Interest is always the best catalyst. For rebuilding Shinra, they had no objections. After all, being a Free City or an autonomous municipality didn’t matter much to them.

Not only them but also most of the Free Cities in Germany were hesitant. The blueprint described by Prime Minister Felix was so enchanting that the capitalists couldn’t resist it.

Of course, there was opposition, rooted in the very realistic reason that capitalists’ status was too low in Austria and did not meet their expectations.

Many doubted Felix’s promises, questioning whether these conditions could be honored after the establishment of Holy Rome.

“To covet life when big issues are at stake, and to forsake righteousness for minor gains.”

This was the most fitting description of them.

Baden

As one of Bavaria’s staunchest allies, the 1830 Ming Baden royal family became extinct, and the Kingdom of Bavaria almost annexed the Grand Duchy of Baden. Sadly, plans couldn’t keep up with the rapidly changing circumstances, and they failed due to intervention by the major powers.

This small incident did not affect the relationship between the two countries; at most, there was a bit of dissatisfaction among the royal families.

Whether to send troops to help Bavaria had become a dilemma for Ludwig II, or rather, for his brother, Prince Friedrich.

There was no choice; it seemed as though a curse had befallen the modern European royal families, besieged by a slew of troubles, Ludwig II suffered from a mild mental illness.

Needless to say, once afflicted with such an illness, regardless of severity, no one dared let him continue to govern. No one could guarantee that his decisions would be sound.

“The Bavarians are asking for help, should we send our troops to rescue them immediately?” Prince Friedrich asked.

“Your Highness, now is not a good time to send troops. The Austrians are well-prepared; with our strength alone, we simply cannot save Bavaria.

It would be best to act in concert with other nations. If we were to go to war rashly, we could suffer heavy losses,” Minister Woltz replied.

The Kingdom of Bavaria must be saved, for they understood all too well the principle of mutual dependence. However, the method of rescue required skill; a misstep that cost them dearly would be a huge loss.

Home Minister Johannes added, “It’s not just that; we also have to consider the domestic public opinion. Most citizens have no good feelings toward Bavaria.

Ever since the Bavarian Government’s Three Countries Cabinet plan was proposed, many radical civic groups have demanded that our government sever ties with them.

The news has not yet spread widely. Once it does, there is a very high possibility that the public will oppose government intervention.”

The Austrian plan to rebuild the Shinra was very deceptive; not only have the citizens been fooled, but many governments of the German States as well, including the Baden Government.

Now that the cat is out of the bag, government elites may quickly shift their views, but the general populace cannot. Many will be prejudiced, believing that Austria’s initiation of this war is justified.

It’s not only due to Austria’s effort that the Bavarian Government has been maligned; much of it is also spontaneous public sentiment. After all, whose fault is it that the Bavarian Government’s German unification plan has left them dissatisfied?

In the eyes of many nationalists, German unification is inevitable, and the Bavarian Government is a cancer opposing national unification. Removing them would be the first step towards unification.

This idea, intentionally guided by Franz, had already begun to ferment. The Baden Government could not possibly convince the public with the argument of mutual dependence; even if they did, it would be to no avail.

Most of the populace hoped for German unification and the Baden Government did not have the people’s heart. During the time of the great revolution, the Grand Duchy of Baden briefly established The Republican Government, and it was only with the help of the Prussians that the uprising was suppressed.

Of course, since they’ve implemented social reforms, whether their government’s standing in the eyes of the public is as important as German unification is a question no one knows the answer to.

Foreign Minister Nicholas suggested, “Your Highness, Austria’s plan to unify Germany will not succeed. Once the major powers intervene, it’s over. There’s no need for us to risk getting involved in the fray.”

Prince Friedrich nodded in agreement; the Grand Duchy of Baden did not have deep coffers. If they were to engage in a full-scale war with Austria, they would at best be severely weakened, at worst, entirely decimated.

If such a situation were to occur, the government’s foundation of rule would be shaken. Without this standing army, what would they use to suppress the revolutionary forces within the country?

Anyway, with the eventual intervention of the major powers, what did they have to fear? The life-and-death struggle of the Bavarian Government was simply not within their considerations.

Berlin

When Frederick William IV learned of Austria’s military unification of the German Region, excitement surged within him—a rare opportunity had emerged.

With Austria taking the lead, the Kingdom of Prussia’s difficulty in unifying the German Region would be greatly reduced.

“Gentlemen, the Austrians can’t hold back anymore. Now that they’ve disrupted the situation, should we send troops to rescue Bavaria?” Frederick William IV asked.

Prime Minister Joseph von Radovich said gravely, “Your Majesty, we absolutely must not send troops now. Before forming an allied force with the German Confederation, or before the intervention of the great powers, we must avoid conflict with the Austrians as much as possible.

In recent years, the economic conditions within the country have not been favorable, and the development of our military has also been limited. Engaging in a decisive battle with the Austrians now, our chances of victory are too low.

Even if we were to win, we would still be the losers. Recklessly fighting the Austrians and depleting our strength would merely allow other principalities to benefit from our losses.

Once we suffer heavy losses in war, we would lose the opportunity to unify the German Region. The great powers will not give us time; they oppose the Austrians unifying Germany, and likewise, they oppose Prussia unifying Germany.

The best choice at this time is to incite the smaller states to deploy their troops, using the opportunity of war to drain their strength, thereby reducing the difficulty of our unification of Germany.

As for the Austrians, leave them to England and France! They think they’ve chosen a good time when other nations are unable to intervene in their military actions.

But they’ve forgotten that Europe is not just England, France, and Russia. Even if those three countries are engaged in conflict, with their influence, they can still rally other nations to organize intervention forces.”

In this era, the influence of England, France, and Russia is enormous, especially the two dominants, England and Russia. It is normal for Joseph von Radovich to have confidence in them. Although Austria is also one of the four major powers, it cannot compare with England and Russia.

Foreign Minister Rudolf spoke, “Prime Minister, sir, if we do not deploy troops, I’m afraid the smaller states of the German Region also won’t dare to. With their capabilities, they simply don’t qualify to intervene.

If no one intervenes, the Kingdom of Bavaria is doomed. By the time England, France, and Russia react, Austria will have already created a fait accompli.

Currently, England, France, and Russia are embroiled in the battles of the Near East, and Austria has always had good relations with Russia. It’s not impossible for the two to have reached a secret agreement.”

Rudolf’s concerns were not without reason. There were many states in the German Confederation, but few major ones. These small states could muster at most several thousand troops, hardly making a splash on the battlefield.

Austria’s strength was not weak, and once a fait accompli was achieved, and with the Russians’ tacit approval, the pressure from England and France would be insufficient to force them to back down.

“Mr. Rudolf, such a situation could indeed occur, which is why we must take action. At the very least, we have to organize the armies of each German Nation so that we can thwart Austria’s plot without paying a heavy price,” Prime Minister Joseph von Radovich responded.

In any case, it was impossible to recklessly challenge Austria to a duel. If the Kingdom of Prussia wanted to be the ultimate beneficiary, they could not afford to clash head-on with Austria and lose precious military strength.

England and France were hoping for the German States to dispatch troops to stop Austria, and these small German states were likewise hoping for the intervention of the great powers.

Everyone wanted to be the final fisherman, and then the tragedy struck for the Kingdom of Bavaria, who at the onset of the battle had to fight alone.

While debates were happening within the countries, the battle had already begun.

The Bavarian Government, unaware that they had been sold out, were confidently mobilizing their troops with affirmative responses from various countries, preparing to fight a homeland defense war.