Chapter 457: Chapter 30, Join – Split
 

London

Since the downfall of the Russian Empire, France and Austria had become the greatest enemies of the British. Despite Franz having toned down considerably, with Austria’s continuous growth, it was still regarded as a major foe by the British.

At some point, the actions of the Vienna Government began to be closely monitored by the British, benefiting early from the treatment that was later to be reserved for TeutonII.

Had it not been for the French sharing the pressure, the British would have formed an anti-Austrian alliance, this kind of maneuver was their specialty.

A seemingly insignificant redistricting alerted the London Government to danger, which they perceived as a sign of France and Austria joining forces.

An alliance between France and Austria was a terrifying prospect. When considering the entire world, apart from Britannia, no other power was deemed worthy of prompting such an alliance between France and Austria.

Late at night on Downing Street, lights blazed in the Prime Minister’s residence. Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli had called an urgent meeting, not because he was anxious but because the situation had reached the brink of spiralling out of control.

Over the past few years, they had been extremely cautious regarding France and Austria, even refraining from suppressing them excessively for fear that pressure would drive the two countries together.

Prime Minister Benjamin opened a top-secret document, left behind by his predecessor. It contained mere speculations, without any substantive evidence.

Yet the contents were terrifying. The former Prime Minister, John Russell, believed that there was a secret treaty between France and Austria, and that an alliance might already have been forged.

The assumption was based on Austria’s acquiescence to the French annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Based on this judgment, several probes were conducted in subsequent political and diplomatic dealings.

As the probes increased, doubts arose as to whether they were mere decoys released by France and Austria, two traditional rivals contending for dominance over the European Continent.

Initially, Benjamin also disbelieved it, thinking his predecessor too weak in dealing with the France-Austrian situation, not displaying Britannia’s authority.

Now his view had changed. If Lombardy and Venice were severed from the Italian Area, the biggest obstacle preventing Napoleon III from ascending to the Italian Emperor’s throne would be removed.

While one grew stronger, the other should naturally weaken. Normally, Austria should have curbed the French expansion of power, but the Vienna Government had decided otherwise, leaving Prime Minister Benjamin no choice but to worry.

“The documents have been distributed to everyone. I’ve asked you here in the night to discuss countermeasures. From the current situation, we can almost confirm the rumors of the France-Austrian alliance.

The question now is where Britannia should stand. Facing the challenge of France and Austria, are we able to suppress them?”

The international situation was unfavorable for Britannia, a disaster for politics and diplomacy, yet a feast for the military.

The Minister of the Navy, Robert, was the first to declare confidently, “The Royal Navy is capable of meeting all challenges, even if facing France and Austria, we have the power to defend the security of Britannia.”

This was no idle boast; the Royal Navy truly had that strength. As long as they didn’t act recklessly, they stood a decent chance against the combined forces of France and Austria.

Of course, this was only in tactical terms. Strategically, as a maritime nation, the navy was Britannia’s lifeline, and they could not afford a protracted war with France and Austria.

Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli immediately affirmed, “Good, from now on, the Royal Navy must be ready. Should war break out, it will be up to you to defend Britannia.”

Robert responded with grave aplomb, “Please…”

The Army Minister was eager to prove himself but quickly fell silent. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to take a stand; it was because no one would believe his words.

If the Royal Navy could not guarantee Britannia’s security, what hope did the army have? Besides, France and Austria were powerhouses in land forces, each possessing several times the strength of the British Army.

The Navy’s assurance provided some comfort to everyone present. Being unable to suppress France and Austria simultaneously was a minor issue; Britannia thrived on wit, not brute force, and could negotiate rather than fight.

With the Royal Navy’s firm response, Foreign Minister McLean suggested, “The situation isn’t as bad as it seems. France and Austria have numerous contradictions; even if they have formed an alliance, it’s unlikely they will cooperate fully.

This is our opportunity. If possible, I propose establishing an international alliance comprised of England, France, and Austria to jointly dominate international affairs.

Then, we can subtly undermine the France-Austrian relationship until the alliance collapses.”

There are allies who trap their mates and those who stir up trouble. As a master of both these arts, McLean planned to leverage their expertise in diplomacy to dismantle the France-Austrian alliance.

The Colonial Minister, Louis, furrowed his brow with dissatisfaction, “Are we to abandon all our previous plans?

Do not forget how rapidly Austria has expanded overseas these years. If we do not contain this growth now, it will become unstoppable later.”

This was indeed the case. In overseas expansion, Austria’s combat power was alarmingly effective. No one could keep pace with their speed of expansion.

Foreign Minister McLean smiled faintly and retorted, “The world has been almost entirely divided, and everyone’s expansion has more or less reached its limits. If Austrians want to continue expanding, they will have to confront other nations.

Their rapid expansion owes much to the massive immigration and the Vienna Government’s flexible foreign policy.

In their colonial expansion overseas, they have avoided the core colonies of other nations, expanding into unclaimed territories. With such an approach, Austria’s strength was naturally not regarded as a threat.

But it’s different now. One more step forward means conflict with other nations. The expansion will naturally slow down, or even come to a complete halt.

“Our original plan was to cause Austria nothing more than a minor inconvenience. If we were to start a colonial war, I fear we wouldn’t gain much advantage.”

“Sir Louis, can you tell me how much military force would be needed to occupy Austria’s various colonies?”

Sir Louis was slightly taken aback; he hadn’t expected McLean to ask this question. However, being professional, Sir Louis still provided an answer.

“The Austrian colonies consist of five main parts: Austro-Africa, the Austrian South Seas region, Austrian Central America, Austrian South America, and Austrian North America.”

First of all, Austrian North America is a land of ice and snow, including Alaska and some islands in the Arctic Ocean, the islands between Canada and Greenland.

The area might be about two million square kilometers, but the exact size is unknown because it is uninhabitable.

The total population of Austrian North America should not exceed ten thousand. I estimate a single company could take it, or even a band of pirates could get the job done.”

Next is Austrian South America, which is the Patagonian plateau, extending to the Drake Straits. There are about a hundred thousand indigenous people there, plus over fifty thousand European immigrants.

Argentina and Chile both have an interest in this land, and with a little push, they might very well make their move.

The Austrian South Seas region is made up of many islands and is somewhat difficult to meddle with. It is also the most densely populated of all Austrian colonies, with over four hundred thousand European immigrants alone.

Because of the existence of the Lan Fang Autonomous Province, a large number of Chinese have settled there, with a total population exceeding three million, coupled with another four to five million local natives.

Every year, this region provides Austria with a substantial wealth, so the Vienna Government pays great attention to it and has stationed two infantry divisions there.

During war times…”

Foreign Minister McLean called out, “Stop!”

“Sir Louis, you have described the situation. Austrian North America is just a snowy wasteland, attractive in appearance but of no substantial benefit to Austria.

Austrian South America is much the same; Vienna Government has to inject money into it every year, and they can’t even break even.

These two regions are indeed easy to target, but besides their vastness, do they have any other advantages? If Chile and Argentina are really interested, there is no need for military action; they could simply buy the lands outright.

As long as the price is right, Vienna Government wouldn’t mind selling these loss-making territories.

The remaining three colonies are truly the core of Austria’s colonial system. Unfortunately, these regions are not easily interfered with, unless we personally step into the fray and show our hand.

Otherwise, I don’t believe anyone can take the Austrian South Seas. Doubt not that the Dutch wouldn’t dare to take action unless they were willing to give up their homeland.

There’s even no need to mention Austrian Central America; we still need to work with the Austrians to suppress the Americans, so we simply cannot interfere.

I presume no one really believes that Austrian Africa can be captured? Even with the combined forces of European nations on the African continent, at best, they could only match Austria’s presence there.

Given this, how valuable is our previous plan? Aside from causing the Vienna Government some embarrassment, we can’t gain any substantive benefits.

We could even risk the loss of South Africa if Portugal remains neutral and Austria allies with the two Boer republics; our forces in Cape Town would be unable to hold South Africa.”

Interest is always the best catalyst. The plans of the Colonial Department indeed struck at Austria, but alas, they did not inflict substantial damage.

Even if we were to capture both Austrian North America and Austrian South America, the Vienna Government at worst would be embarrassed once and save an annual expense of over two hundred thousand Divine Shields.

In the face of reality, Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli naturally made the choice that best suited the interests of the Great Britain Empire.

“Given the current situation, the most important thing now is to disrupt or dismantle the France-Austrian Alliance; other plans should be put on hold for the time being.

If we don’t act soon, it won’t be long before Napoleon III becomes the Italian Emperor, and the Austrians annex the German Federation.”

Based on conjecture alone, Prime Minister Benjamin reached an almost entirely correct conclusion, his political judgment was truly exceptional.

Finance Minister Morlito spoke with a worried tone: “This is indeed the most pressing matter. Direct confrontation with France and Austria would be very unwise. Stirring up their differences and maintaining balance on the European continent is the course of action that best suits Britannia’s interests.

By the way, we are also facing financial issues and need time to sort them out. Previous governments were too belligerent, and we have been at war almost constantly over the past few years.

They were quick to borrow, but the weight of the debt has fallen on our shoulders. In the last twenty years, our total debt has doubled.

Now, thirty-four percent of our annual fiscal revenue goes toward debt repayment. If this continues, the fate of the Russian Empire today will be our tomorrow.”

This was a serious problem; the Great Britain Empire being wealthy didn’t mean the government was flush with cash. Over the past few years, the London Government had initiated the Near East war, the Persia war, suppressed the Indian rebellion, and fought in the Ethiopia war…

Even the wealthiest of estates cannot withstand such turmoil, and naturally, the debts piled up.