NOVPUB1889 was a very special year that kept the spectators fully entertained.
From the initial Central Asian war, Afghanistan war, to the eruption of the envoy incident, followed by the magnificent feud between England and Austria.
However, this was just the beginning. It was supposed to be a clash between England and Russia, but the British, who didn’t play by the rules, were the first to deploy the tactic of dragging others into the mud.
From the second half of the year onward, the dark histories of the major European colonial empires kept being exposed.
Austria was no exception, leaving Franz, who just wanted to enjoy the spectacle, unable to do so in peace.
At this point, if he didn’t realize this was a British conspiracy, then he would have been emperor in vain all these years.
Incidents like the "Central Asian Massacre" and the "Dark Histories of Various Nations" were fabricated to deflect international public opinion.
The Russian envoy was killed in broad daylight in London, and with such a major incident occurring, the British Government simply couldn’t provide a clear explanation.
The international community didn’t accept the British’s explanations, with nations urging the British Government to solve the case promptly and bring a satisfactory conclusion to the envoy incident.
In recent years, the British Government had drawn a lot of enmity, and the combined pressure from other nations was aimed not only at punishing such rule-breaking behavior but also at seizing the opportunity for their own advantages.
With solid reasons and the backing of other European nations, the British would struggle to find an excuse for retaliation afterward.
Of course, retaliation was a secondary concern. Russia and Austria, leading the charge, were not afraid of retaliation at all.
Other countries were just joining in on the situation, aiming mainly to assert their presence on the international stage.
For smaller nations, being forgotten internationally due to prolonged inactivity could also be disastrous.
The London Government neither wanted to investigate the "Envoy Incident" nor had the ability to proceed with it. In this context, of course, they had to find a way to divert public attention.
Then the "Russian Massacre in Central Asia" came into focus, and after some hyping up, everyone’s attention shifted to the dark histories of the major colonial empires.
As one of the victims, Franz was now busy with damage control and had no time to hold a grudge against the British.
There was no choice, as according to the British media, Austria was the biggest slave trading syndicate in human history, even eclipsing Portugal and England in infamy.
Franz completely rejected the British narrative.
What a joke, if Austria had become a slave trading syndicate, wouldn’t he, the Emperor, have become the greatest slave trader?
On this issue, Franz was willing to swear to God that he had never engaged in the slave trade.
The Austrian Government also had never engaged in the slave trade and was even one of the first nations to combat it.
From the initiation of their colonial empire, the Austrian Government never reaped even the slightest profit from the slave trade; their hands were clean.
Vienna Palace
Looking at the news criticizing Austria for engaging in the slave trade, Franz, frowning, asked, "With continuous public doubts, what plans does the ministry of propaganda have?"
As the mouth was on others’ faces and they were adamant, Austria couldn’t shut them up.
With international forces manipulating behind the scenes, even the usual influence of gold had become ineffective. Even if it were possible to buy them off, the prices demanded by these newspapers were too high; Austria was not a sucker willing to pay any price.
Propagation Minister Louis von Lavalier: "Given the current complex international situation, aside from passive clarification, the best course of action is to shift the responsibility elsewhere.
As early as thirty years ago, we abolished slavery and banned any slave trade activities, which is a widely known fact.
Years ago, the American countries experienced a severe labor shortage, which constrained their economic development. To help the economic growth of the American countries, we transported excess labor from Austro-Africa.
It was itself a mutually beneficial arrangement. To ensure a normal life for the immigrants, we even provided them with subsidies.
The immigrants were free people before arriving in America, and the signed contracts guaranteed their status as free citizens. How they ended up as slaves afterwards is a question for the concerned nation."
Although the justification seemed strained, Franz chose to believe it.
Over the years, Austria has successively transported tens of millions of immigrants to America and Persia—was it really just to help the economies of American countries develop? If you don’t believe it, there are contracts to prove it.
This precious historical material is all on file with the Vienna Government. It was at the request of various governments that Austria agreed to export its surplus labor force.
Out of a desire to help everyone prosper together, the Vienna Government not only spent money but also lost tens of millions of Divine Shields in the process of exporting labor.
The incidents that followed were entirely due to the capitalists, who were too greedy and turned a group of freedmen into slaves.
When it comes to assigning blame, that lies with the imperfect laws of the involved countries. Otherwise, the ensuing mess wouldn’t have happened, and it has absolutely nothing to do with Austria.
Those who accuse Austria of being slave traders are a bunch of people with ulterior motives. Who has ever seen a slave trader who pays out of pocket to give money to slaves?
After pondering for a moment, Franz shook his head, "This still isn’t enough. While we clear our own name, we also need negative examples for contrast.
"There are no short of European countries that have engaged in the slave trade. Try to steer the conversation towards them, especially the British, who need to be taken good care of."
"They are the biggest slave and drug traders in human history, committing an affront to human civilization. We must expose the British conspiracy and let more people understand the truth."
You trick me, I trick you. This is how the great powers interact with each other. If the British dare to fan the flames everywhere, Franz doesn’t mind putting them on the grill.
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In the face of all the dark histories, Austria is just a little brother. Especially under the contrast of its peers, it’s hardly worth mentioning.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
After responding, Louis von Lavalier, the Minister of Propaganda, started to feel a headache.
Exposing the British’s dark history is easy, given that they are fraught with issues and simply cannot come clean.
But to utilize it in conspiracy theories, that requires meticulous study. It’s not because there are too few conspiracies, but rather because there are too many by the British, far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
One could refer to the countless plans formulated by the Austrian General Staff, replete with ingenious ideas; some are conservative enough to wait it out indefinitely, while others are radical enough to immediately put them in charge of the game.
Noticing the worries of the Minister of Propaganda, Franz added, "Focus the conspiracy theories on drugs.
"The British peddle opium everywhere not only for huge profits but also with the intention to poison the whole world through opium, weaken the strength of other countries, and prepare for their domination of the world.
"The propaganda department can get a group of experts and scholars to denounce the sinister intentions of the British, calling for the whole world to ban the use of opium together.
"The Foreign Ministry can coordinate with you, and when necessary, the government can convene a global anti-drug conference in its name."
Franz had long wanted to tackle the issue of drug control. Unfortunately, prior to this, people had not realized the dangers of opium, and many viewed it as a panacea.
Therefore, Austria could only proceed with drug control behind closed doors, while internationally, opium continued to flood the markets, even becoming equivalent to hard currency in certain regions. 𝓃ℴ𝓋𝓹𝓊𝓫.𝒸𝓸𝓂
As science and technology advanced, more and more people became aware of the dangers of opium, and the social call to ban its circulation grew louder.
The basic conditions for calling for a global anti-drug effort were reluctantly in place. With the British presenting an opportunity at this moment, Franz saw no reason not to strike at this source of their wealth.
Not all countries need to participate; just a few major powers will suffice to form international law.
Even if we couldn’t eradicate opium, at least we could cause great discomfort to the British and damage their international image.
Louis von Lavalier reminded, "Your Majesty, the British themselves also consume opium, with substantial circulation both domestically and in their colonies. Accusing them of using opium to weaken the strength of other countries might be a bit far-fetched."
One must admit the opium traders are formidable: while they exploit the entire world internationally, they do not forget to dupe their own compatriots back home.
After all, their goal is to make money, and whose money it is makes no difference.
Franz cracked a slight smile, "No matter. Just announce this crime to the international community. When in Britannia, switch to a different narrative: ’Capitalists attempt to use opium to control Britannia.’
"Emphasize the addiction of consuming opium, how once one is addicted, they can’t ever leave it and end up being manipulated by the capitalists behind the scenes."
Nonsense doesn’t matter, as there will always be people who believe it. Even if opium traders haven’t dared to do this, who can guarantee they haven’t thought about it?
"The British Government’s bill to ban opium has never passed, there is only an ineffectual ’Pharmacy Drug Act.’
