NOVPUBThe public outcry was mounting, and Franz naturally would not pass up this opportunity to boost his reputation; combatting the drug trade was undoubtedly a positive initiative.
Others feared retaliation from opium traders and had to watch their words, but he, the Emperor, was not afraid!
On June 26, 1889, Franz issued the "Declaration of War Against Drugs," calling for all countries around the world to act together to ban the drug trade.
The opium trade, being the main target of criticism, saw Franz making no accommodations for the United Kingdom, directly demanding that the British Government take responsibility for the proliferation of opium.
On the same day, Austria’s Foreign Ministry also sent diplomatic notes to countries around the world, inviting them to attend an international conference on drug prohibition to be held in Vienna a year later.
Given the lengthy interval, that was unavoidable.
In those days, communication was inconvenient; news took months to spread all over the world, and waiting for representatives from various countries to arrive in Vienna would not be enough without a year’s time.
The main purpose of convening the International Conference on Drug Prohibition was to increase the pressure on the British Government; naturally, the more delegates present, the better.
Franz always liked to plan before acting and, having decided to tackle the British opium trade, naturally aimed to achieve results.
Not necessarily seeking the British Government’s compliance, but at least aiming to explicitly ban opium sales in international law, confining its use to the medical field rather than as freely available health products.
Franz’s personal endorsement naturally greatly encouraged those opposed to the opium trade. Following the issuance of the declaration, Franz became a leader of the international anti-drug movement.
No one contested his position; opium traders were not to be trifled with. Over the past century, countless enlightened individuals opposing the opium trade had died under their blades.
Finally emerging as one who could withstand the pushback from opium traders, everyone naturally pushed him to the forefront.
This was especially true for countries severely afflicted by the opium scourge; the impact was even more significant.
After so many years, a figure finally emerged who could compete with the British in the arena, carrying the banner of the anti-smoking campaign.
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Foreign Minister Weisenberg, "Since His Majesty issued the declaration, we have already garnered support from Russia, Greece, Montenegro, Switzerland, France, Spain, the Nordic Federation, and some sub-states in the Germany Region.
The situation is about what we expected. If nothing unexpected happens, after the news spreads, a few countries outside Europe will likely support us as well.
The opium trade harms everyone, and the remaining countries that have not publicly stated their position are mainly afraid of British retaliation. They are mostly hopeful that the anti-smoking campaign will succeed.
Once the international conference convenes, passing a law prohibiting the circulation of opium shouldn’t be an issue."
The British, through the opium trade, plundered the wealth of countries worldwide, severely harming everyone’s interests.
No one lifted the lid, due primarily to wariness of British retaliation, but also because domestic interest groups profited from the opium trade.
With the efforts of these interest groups, opposing voices were suppressed. However, everything dissipated with Franz’s declaration.
Enlightened individuals who opposed the rampant opium came forward, exposing the dangers of opium, and the cover could no longer be held down.
Interest groups might influence the government, but they could not make decisions for it. At critical moments, politicians naturally needed to kick aside these dirty bandages. 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
Apart from France, Spain, and the Nordic Federation, the openly supportive countries shared a common trait: they were heavily influenced by Austria and largely unaffected by the British.
Even if it meant offending the British, it didn’t matter; John Bull’s tentacles couldn’t reach that far, so there was no fear of retaliation.
Franz was not surprised to gain the support of Spain and the Nordic Federation, as the British, through the opium trade, had plundered their wealth, naturally spurring their opposition.
The French’s behavior was quite peculiar. Don’t forget, England and France were allies, and the recent Franco-Austrian relations were very poor; politically, the French government had absolutely no reason to support it.
However, it was all in vain, as the French government came out in support almost concurrently with the Russians, becoming one of the first countries to make its position clear.
Without the support of the French government, Austria might not have been able to gain the support of so many European countries in such a short time.
"Has there been a problem with the relationship between England and France? Recently, why does the French government keep causing trouble for the British?"
It wasn’t that Franz was being sensitive, from the beginning of the alliance, the French government had continuously caused trouble for the British, and of course, the British Government had also set many traps for the French.
Setting aside the mere paper agreement, the relationship between England and France seemed more like enemies than allies.
Minister Weisenberg explained, "Your Majesty, the relationship between England and France is extremely complex and can be traced back to the Middle Ages.
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Throughout these long years, England and France were adversaries for most of the time, and even now, with the alliance formed, there’s a fundamental lack of trust between the two countries.
From the intelligence we’ve gathered, the alliance between England and France appears more like a farce; neither government has ever considered the other an ally.
Whenever there is a clash of interests, or once one party loses value, the alliance will immediately crumble."
This response was utterly exasperating, but thinking about the initial farce of the Anglo-French alliance, Franz understood it.
Two adversarial countries suddenly forming an alliance couldn’t possibly become friends immediately; it would take some time for both sides to adjust their mindsets.
Now, if you randomly stop someone on the streets of Paris and ask them who France’s greatest enemy is, there’s a ninety-nine percent chance the answer would be the British.
To delve into the reasons, aside from the hatred between England and France, the main issue is that the Russian-Austrian Alliance isn’t putting enough pressure on them.
After all, the Russian-Austrian Alliance has been in place for many years, and for most of the past decades, Russia and Austria were mostly acting independently, except when they joined forces to defeat the Ottoman Empire.
Especially now, with the Russians shifting their strategic focus to the south and Austria maintaining restraint on European issues, France doesn’t feel any pressure.
Without the pressure of survival, why should they lower themselves and kowtow to the British?
The alliance is purely out of interest, its greatest value being the enhancement of political influence, rather than a genuine joint military action against Russia and Austria.
From this aspect, it is not surprising that the French government jumped out to support the anti-drug campaign. Even issuing bonds for the Russians, which essentially aids the enemy, so merely expressing their opinion is no big deal!
Franz nodded in acknowledgement, not dwelling further on this matter. The worse the relationship between England and France, the more advantageous it was for Austria; he had no reason to worry about his enemies.
After pausing for a moment, Franz continued, "How far has the Agriculture Department gotten with the promotion of potash fertilizer, and by how much can our domestic grain output be expected to increase this year?"
Minister of Agriculture Hols replied, "The promotion of potash fertilizer has been relatively smooth. Most of the domestic farms have adopted it, and many have already conducted trials.
Once the autumn harvest is over and everyone sees the results, we can fully roll it out.
A significant increase in grain production is expected to begin from next year; this year’s increase will be slight."
This was an inevitable result, as even the best products, without trial, would leave everyone uneasy.
Especially in matters that affect a family’s income, people are even less likely to be careless; without seeing the results, no one is willing to take a risk.
The fact that people were willing to allocate a plot of land for trial use of potash fertilizer proved that the Department of Agriculture had done a commendable job. Once the results were out, there would be no need for governmental promotion; the public would do it themselves.
This was also a blessing; if the grain production had skyrocketed this year, the Russians would have been crying their eyes out.
Who knows if the Tsarist Government, after suffering heavy agricultural losses, would still have the courage to continue waging war against the British.
If the fire were suddenly extinguished, wouldn’t Austria’s previous investments have been in vain?
