NOVPUBPlans never change as quickly as reality. Faced with the French who were all noise and no action, Franz could not deny that his judgment was flawed.
The table had been overturned, yet without French participation, the situation had not developed as Franz had anticipated.
It seemed that the Paris Government had staged a farce, but in reality, it was precisely the most strategically beneficial choice for France.
What France needed now was to keep a low profile, to diminish its presence as much as possible. If it were to make a move for the Rhineland region now, England and Austria, currently at odds, would immediately set aside their differences and jointly suppress them.
France’s formidable strength, conveniently adjacent to the Rhineland region, dictated that geopolitics would inevitably involve the French. The Paris Government’s lack of a clear stance, on the other hand, had led to its courtship by various parties.
At Vienna Palace, Franz shook his head helplessly as he reviewed the intelligence in his hands.
Having turned the tables, it was still uncertain whether Austria had gained or lost from the upheaval, but the Kingdom of Prussia had definitely profited.
If they had followed the United Kingdom’s plan, launching a surprise offensive at the international conference, there would have only been one buyer, the German Federation Empire.
A deal enforced by coercion naturally could not match the price driven up by the competition between two buyers. It was estimated that selling the Rhineland region would resolve the financial crisis of the Berlin Government.
Foreign Minister Weisenberg said, "Your Majesty, the Berlin Government has released news of its intention to sell the Rhineland region. Belgium and the German Federation Empire have both shown interest.
However, without the support of a major power, Belgium stands little chance unless it can gain French backing. Even if the Prussians wish to sell to them, the deal would be difficult to complete without it.
The German Federation Empire has encountered an issue as well. The Imperial Parliament has seen proposals regarding the ownership of the Rhineland, with many representatives from the sub-states clearly demanding that the Rhineland must join as a sub-state.
If it were not for George I announcing an adjournment in time, perhaps the parliament would have already made a decision by now, eliminating the possibility of central government direct control."
(In the German Federation Empire, George I refers to George V of Hanover, a monarch nonexistent in the original time-space since Hanover had perished.)
It was evident that Weisenberg yet lamented the slowness of the German Federal Parliament; had it already passed a resolution, Austria’s goal would have been accomplished.
As for supporting Belgium to acquire the Rhineland region, it was a ruse from start to finish. The reason was exceedingly simple: Belgium was too close to France.
If they failed to garner French backing, they might stand a chance in the competition; with it, they would not even get a chance to compete.
The French were not in the business of charity. If they supported Belgium, they would inevitably expect something in return.
If the Kingdom of Prussia sold the Rhineland to Belgium only to have Belgium then hand its resources over to the French, all their efforts would be in vain.
In terms of industrial development, the resources of the Rhineland region were of even greater value to France than those of the Italian Area.
Napoleon III’s acquisition of Italy brought an increase in territory, population, and markets, but virtually no gain in resources, further exacerbating France’s resource crisis.
Before occupying Italy, the Paris Government didn’t have to worry about the energy resources for the Italian Area. Now, however, those issues had become France’s own.
France required hundreds of thousands of tons of coal imports annually, a figure that would continue to climb with industrial advancement.
Though it might not significantly impact the French economy in the short term, in a decade or two, France’s heavy industry would fall behind.
In the original time-space, France became the Usury Empire because its domestic resources were insufficient, and the need for imports drove up industrial production costs.
With higher production costs came increased sales prices. Consequently, many French industrial and commercial products lost their competitive edge internationally, forcing capitalists to transform their businesses.
Without question, to contain the French, the nation acquiring the Rhineland region could not be pro-French; this was a matter of principle.
Undoubtedly, the German Federation Empire was doing a better job in this regard, diplomatically hovering between England and Austria rather than swinging between England and France like Belgium.
Prime Minister Felix said, "Let’s first see Belgium’s choice! If the Belgian people are ambitious, aspiring to establish a powerful nation that can say no to the French, then giving them the Rhineland might not be a bad idea.
We too need a stake to keep France in check, and inadequate power won’t suffice. Prussia would have been the best choice, but their growth is too rapid.
If it weren’t for our needing the Teutonic unification strategy as a diversion, letting Hanover consolidate the German Federation and acquire the Rhineland would also have been a decent option."
To take, you must first give. Hanover’s consolidation of the German Federation did not actually affect Austria’s plan to unite the German Region.
Because when Franz felt the time was ripe for action, Austria would already possess the strength of a world leader, fearless of being ganged up upon.
From a strictly interest-based perspective, the German Federation Empire is but a mere chicken rib; only with the acquisition of the Rhineland region can it be begrudgingly considered meat.
With so many German regional states, if all were allowed to enter, the Imperial Parliament would be lively indeed. I estimate that a significant portion of the future Central Government’s efforts will have to be devoted to reconciling internal relations.
It just so happens that Germany has been divided for hundreds of years, and the populace has long grown accustomed to the politics of the Sub-States along with religious factors, altering the game’s rules will inevitably elicit pushback.
This requires a scapegoat, or it could jeopardize ruling stability. The fact that the original time-space German Second Empire failed to solve this issue thoroughly is telling enough.
Prime Minister Felix intended for George I to take the fall for this, expecting that once he’d eliminated numerous lesser states, Austria could then step in to reap the benefits with much less hatred accrued.
Franz nodded, "This issue can’t be rushed; haste could easily mean sewing a wedding dress for someone else.
The national policy has already been set; we must follow the established procedures. Rashly altering the plan is a taboo. We have to keep playing this game, at least to buy us a decade’s time.
By that time, even if our ruse is exposed, our momentum will already be unstoppable. Even if England and France wish to cause trouble, they will need the strength to do so."
Lingering another ten years is Franz’s minimal requirement. If possible, dragging it on for twenty or thirty years is even better.
By then, the French will have fallen behind by themselves, and Prussia and Russia would have successfully become arch-enemies. The British, even if they wish to stir up trouble, would have to give up due to the lack of a handy tool.
In the original timeline, the London Government did not suppress the United States with all its might but chose to clench with the German Empire instead. One of the most important reasons was the lack of a handy tool.
Under Franz’s butterfly effect, the pace of the industrial revolution in this timeline is much faster. Not only has electric power begun to spread earlier, but the development of internal combustion engines is also much faster, and the diesel engine has already been born.
Although it is still at the laboratory stage and not practical for widespread application, this represents a significant advance in power systems. Once the power system develops to a certain point, it will be time for the birth of airplanes.
Only when the air force begins developing can Austria replace England’s hegemony. It’s not that Franz is timid, it’s just that the Royal Navy is too powerful; relying on naval power to overtake them is simply unrealistic.
"To attack others with one’s own weaknesses; isn’t that asking for trouble?" The original time-space German Second Empire has proven with facts that Britain will not leave any opportunities for rivals to catch up with the Royal Navy.
Austria’s geographical location is slightly better than that of the German Second Empire, but the essence of multi-front warfare hasn’t changed, lacking the geographic advantage of the United States dominating an entire continent.
However, once the air force is born, things will be different. Competing with the British in an emerging field, Franz is not the least bit timid. Having a deployment around the Mediterranean, securing the lines of communication between the African Continent and the mainland, Austria would also be stable.
The population of mainland Austria has already exceeded seventy-five million, roughly equal to the Russian Empire and more than double that of the British mainland, plus over ten million in the African Colony, and the longer the drag, the more apparent the population advantage becomes.
As an established empire, it is already a beneficiary with no lack of resources and markets, and no urgent desire to challenge the world order. 𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
The heavy responsibility of challenging the world order should be left to the new empires. Unless there is low-hanging fruit to pluck, challenging the world order is a high-risk, low-return endeavor, with over ninety percent of the outcomes not compensating for the losses suffered in war.
From a god’s-eye view, established empires are not really the enemy; it is the emerging empires that are the threat.
The most classic example is England, France, and Austria; they were each other’s biggest competitors and full of contradictions, yet instead of breaking out in war, they formed alliances first.
The biggest issue is the lack of motivation to wage war. Everyone is a beneficiary with vast colonies under their control, already satiated; who would have the appetite to snatch from others?
War has its costs, too. From the First Near-East War onwards, almost all direct conflicts between European countries have been in a losing state financially.
Even for the Kingdom of Prussia, which received extensive territories as a reward, profit-making was a matter of decades later; in the short term, it was still a losing financial proposition.
From an investment perspective, wars between great powers are considered high-risk, low-return investments, naturally, they are not popular.
…
London
Countries condemned the Russian Empire’s invasion of Poland, but with the Tsarist Government indifferent to boiling water like a dead pig, naturally, no effect was achieved.
The Russians refused to withdraw troops, and no European nation was willing to intervene. This did not stop the conference from proceeding; the issue of whether Wilhelm I’s assumption of the Polish throne was legal became the new focus.
Simply put, as long as Prussia is willing to give up the Rhineland region, Wilhelm I is the legitimate King of Poland, and even the merger of Prussia and Poland could be legal.
Otherwise, needless to say. The imperialist iron fist would demonstrate what legitimacy is.
Justice and principle turned to bubbles at the London Conference. Unbeknownst to all, everyone’s integrity was compromised a bit further.
