Holy Roman Empire

The Near East War intensified, and although it drew the attention of politicians, it hardly caught the eye of the general public.

The Habsburg dynasty and the Ottomans were sworn enemies, as were the Tsarist Government and the Ottomans, not to mention that Greece and Montenegro were also age-old foes of the Ottoman Empire.

Sharing a common enemy, it was only natural for the four countries to form the Anti-Turkish Alliance. A glance through history books would reveal that these nations had been fighting the Ottomans on and off.

The Ottomans were already in decline, having been forced out of the Balkan Peninsula during the first Near East War, while the Asia Minor Peninsula was still too far away from everyone’s reach.

The focus of public attention remained on the French Revolution; although the Paris Commune movement had ended, its political influence was profound.

Destroying the Palace of Versailles may have seemed like an act of vengeful retribution, but it essentially pulled down the monarch’s dignity from its pedestal.

Unwilling to admit defeat, the Revolutionaries seized this last ripple, vigorously spreading revolutionary ideas, with governments everywhere busy putting out fires.

These troubles seemed unrelated to the Anti-Turkish Alliance; newspapers always followed sales, with local news drawing far more attention than stories from overseas.

The eyes of the European populace were fixed on the revolution, while the focus of those from the Anti-Turkish Alliance countries remained on the Near East War.

Humans have always been the most vengeful of creatures; the Ottomans, the great villains, successfully captured everyone’s attention, leaving no room to care about revolutionary ideas.

Luckily, in those days, information was not widely disseminated, and people’s understanding of the outside world was not very detailed; otherwise, if this news had spread, it would certainly have caused an uproar.

Finding an archenemy to fight could divert internal conflicts and prevent the spread of revolutionary ideas, a perfect strategy indeed.

Of course, this tactic might not apply to France. Their enemies were too powerful to provoke.

The precondition of using war to divert attention is that you must win; losing would mean total disaster.

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In Berlin Palace, Frederick III was engaged in his final bout of soul-searching: whether or not to join forces with Hanover and establish the North German Empire.

Every time he thought about this, he couldn’t help but resent his father for setting such a trap for his son.

One looks back at the time when Metternich proposed that Prussia and Austria divide the Germany Region. Due to uneven spoils, opposition from England and France, and a host of other factors, the Berlin Government decisively refused.

Who could have known that thirty years later, due to errors in government decision-making, they were back to the question of establishing North Germany.

The idea of the same North German Empire was in reality two different entities. The Germany Region had not lost any territory; in fact, it was even larger than what Metternich had initially proposed. Unfortunately, Prussia had shrunk considerably.

As a result, Prussia, which was supposed to lead North Germany, had now become a vassal of Hanover.

Flipping the script, being the master instead of the guest, was nothing but deceptive talk—Frederick III didn’t believe a word of it.

If Prussia could ensure its independence, it would be a godsend. After all, Hanover was Britannia’s flesh and blood, whereas Prussia could at best be considered a stepchild, especially during the Victorian Era.

In an era dominated by the great powers, the importance of a strong backing was self-evident; the Berlin Government had few options left.

Due to the Prusso-Russian War, the relationship with the Tsarist Government in the east was certainly hostile; not causing them trouble was already lucky enough, let alone seeking their support.

Forming North Germany would inevitably offend Austria; even though the Vienna Government had done little, Frederick III was certain there was a hidden issue there.

France, once harboring great expectations from the Berlin Government, suddenly plunged into revolution before any alliance could be formed.

Each time he thought about this, Frederick III was secretly relieved that he hadn’t made that move, or else he would have also offended the British.

Prime Minister Leo Von Caprivi suggested, "Your Majesty, since we can’t discern the Austrians’ plans, why not lay it out plain with them?

The Vienna Government certainly intends to unify the Germany Region; however, they are not ready yet and fear a joint boycott from the countries of Europe, which is why they haven’t made their move.

With France to the west weakened by revolution and the Ottomans to the south nearing their end, if the Vienna Government can stabilize the Russians, their chances of unifying the Germany Region are not low.

With our current situation, we can only side with the victors.

Many sub-states of the Germany Region have already been drawn to the Austrians. The Vienna Government’s hesitancy to make us an offer is likely because they don’t trust us."

People change, battered by society; the idea of a Great Prussia had vanished into thin air.

Even the once fiercely proud Junker aristocracy had to enter hibernation due to the war’s defeat.

After politicians took office, the Berlin Government had become less aggressive, focusing more on practicality.

Frederick III shook his head, "It’s not that simple. The French have not truly suffered a vital blow; they will recover in three to five years.

The Russian-Austrian relationship, no matter how good, will not withstand the test of national interests. Perhaps the Tsarist Government will temporarily accept Austria’s unification of the Germany Region to become the master of Europe under the pressures of reality.

But they too will have their day of recovery. Will the Russian Empire, once it catches its breath in ten, twenty years, still accept Austria’s sole domination of Europe?

With the British involved, how far do you think we are from the Anti-Austrian alliance?

Napoleon was defeated by the coalition of European countries, so how could Franz, known for his caution, possibly take the risk?

Unification of the Germany Region is not just the beginning of a peak but also the prelude to an end.

Without absolute assurance, Austria won’t make a move; otherwise, they would have unified the Germany Region long ago."

Having finished speaking, Frederick III pointed to a spot on the map and fell silent.

Your worst enemy is not your friend, but your enemy.

Prussia and Austria had been old rivals; the Berlin Government always placed a premium on intelligence gathering from Austria, including studying Franz’s character.

With such extensive knowledge, Frederick III could almost predict the Vienna Government’s thoughts.

Why not wait to eliminate the remaining enemies with diplomatic and military tactics before taking action?

Following the direction of Frederick III’s finger, Leo Von Caprivi blurted out, "India!"

Having realized his slip, Leo Von Caprivi fell silent, with only one concept echoing in his mind: The Austrians have made their move.

The terrifying aspect of an open conspiracy lies precisely in its transparency, everyone can see through it, yet they can’t help but be tempted by the benefits it promises.

Already during the first Near East War, the Russians had been duped by the Austrians, yet even after being deceived, the relationship between Russia and Austria remained unaffected.

The reason is simple: the Russians received the benefits that the Vienna Government had promised, making it a case of willingly being duped.

How could any losses possibly outweigh Constantinople?

As long as the benefits are sufficient, the losses are inconsequential. Fundamentally speaking, the potential power of the Russian Empire also grew, it just needed more time to be converted into national strength.

Knowing this, the Berlin Government had no intention of warning the British. They had just tricked the British a while ago, and the Anglo-Prussian relations were not so harmonious anymore.

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The Berlin Government had analyzed the situation, and so could the London Government, although they were in different positions and arrived at different conclusions.

The Berlin Government suspected Austria would encourage the Russians to annex India, while the London Government believed Austria was eyeing India for itself.

After all, it is the richest colony in the world, wealthier than all other colonies combined, and it is only logical for the Vienna Government to harbor ambitions.

While supporting the Ottoman Empire, Gladstone also abandoned his own policy of "Splendid Isolation."

These were the six principles he had proposed before becoming Prime Minister:

1. Establish good government domestically;

2. Maintain peace abroad;

3. Ensure coordination among the major powers of Europe;

4. Refrain from alliances with other countries;

5. Recognize the equal rights of all nations;

6. Sympathize with freedom.

The basic points of these six principles are two-fold: first, to mediate amongst the nations of the European Continent to establish a so-called "coordinated Europe";

second, to avoid alliances with other European countries to maintain one’s freedom of action and achieve "Splendid Isolation".

However, plans never keep up with changes, and before Gladstone’s policies could take effect, the international situation took a sharp turn for the worse. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

If ’Splendid Isolation’ was the best strategy for the London Government before the outbreak of the Near East War, then after the Paris Revolution and the creation of the Anti-Turkish Alliance, it had no viability left.

Facing increasingly serious international situations, the British urgently needed allies on the European Continent to restrain Austria and ensure the security of India.

Looking around the world, there are only three pitiful countries capable of containing Austria: Britannia itself and the not-so-well-positioned France and Russia.

Gladstone placed his hands together on the table and said solemnly, "Gentlemen, it is time to make a choice.

Britain needs a strong ally to deal with the upcoming international changes; now let’s choose from among the France-Russia-Austrian alliance!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

There’s no error, Austria is also one of the options. In the British dictionary, friends and enemies can be interchanged.

When a country is too powerful to oppress and cannot be made an enemy of, turning enemies into friends is also one option.

Foreign Minister George was the first to respond, "Prime Minister, this is a multiple-choice question with only one option; we don’t really have a choice.

With the fall of France and Russia, the situation on the European Continent has become clear, and the quietly rising Austria has become our biggest threat.

Of course, it’s not ruled out that the Austrian Empire might be built on weak foundations.

But this possibility is very small. Austria remained unscathed during the great revolution that affected all of Europe; I don’t believe they will have internal problems anytime soon.

At this time, allying with Austria would undoubtedly further embolden their arrogance.

Russia is also not a good choice; the interests between Russia and Austria are too closely interlinked. Before regaining strength, it is hard for the Tsarist Government to stand against Austria.

Furthermore, the credibility of the Russians is too poor. We do not have the capacity for armed debt collection. To give them a transfusion is to kiss our money goodbye.

In fact, we are left with only one choice—France.

From my personal standpoint, the ambitious French are also not good allies.

Supporting them entails significant risks, and the potential for backlash is quite high, so we must carefully measure our involvement."

Wanting to bring in an ally while fearing that the ally might grow too strong is a dilemma the London Government faces for the balance of power in Europe.

Finance Minister Disraeli Childs disagreed, "Isn’t it good to bolster the Austrians’ arrogance?

We must realize that they are a different kind of enemy. After the outbreak of civil unrest in France, Austria has become the de facto hegemon of Europe.

However, this hegemon differs from the previous dominants of the European Continent. The Austrians dominate European affairs through the Vienna System and do not have the habit of recklessly overreaching, including their restraint during the French internal chaos.

Such restrained behavior gives the Austrians a good international image in front of other European nations, and they maintain good relations with every one of them.

In the face of such an enemy, a policy of containment is the worst option; who knows how many allies they could rally. The best choice is to let them make mistakes on their own."

"Killing with kindness" is the choice with the lowest cost, but the premise has to be that one can indeed kill. Otherwise, if it’s only "kindness," then the losses would be substantial.

After a moment of hesitation, Gladstone shook his head, "The chance of success is too low. We cannot pin our hopes on the Austrians making mistakes.

If they do not blunder, we will be directly responsible for unleashing a monster, which will ultimately boomerang back on us.

No, Austria is already a man-eating monster, and moreover, it is a monster good at disguising itself.

We’ve been fooled by their disguises before, and it’s only now that we realize the threat they pose."

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