Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 424

Chapter 424: Chapter 111, Ethiopia
 

During the London Peace Conference, the British did not cease their global strategic planning. To strengthen their hold over North America, in May, the British Parliament approved the proposal to establish the Canadian Autonomous Territory.

This sparked protest from the United States Federal Government, which naturally was ignored, as the measure was aimed against them in the first place.

After the American Civil War ended, capitalists’ demand for markets further expanded because, due to the North-South standoff, they had said goodbye to the Southern market.

Mexico had become the sphere of influence of England, France, and Spain, with no room for their interference; the Central American region was seen as Austria’s private estate; and the Caribbean Islands were also a hub for great power influence.

The American’s America had become a joke. The European powers had returned in full force, and the fragmented Northern government was simply unable to contend with them.

To change this situation, both American governments were restless. The Southern Confederation Government was still manageable, as they exported industrial raw materials, avoiding competition with the powers.

The Northern Federation, however, could not sit still. To break the deadlock, they supported the Revolutionary Party in Mexico and bolstered Indian tribes in the Central American region.

And that was not all; as the number of Irish immigrants increased, anti-British sentiment became an important political force within the Federal Government. In 1866, an Irish member of Parliament proposed the annexation of Canada.

Without a doubt, such a suicidal proposal naturally did not pass. However, the situation still irritated the British, and the London Government decided to strengthen its presence in the American region.

Establishing the Canadian Autonomous Territory was one such means. The London Government was prepared to relax its oppression of the Canadian Region, allowing them to develop so as to increase its voice in the North American area.

Action was not taken by the British alone; in fact, prior to this, the French had already reinforced their troops in Mexico. Franz’s suggestion was somewhat heeded by Maximilian—the debt of Mexico increased by a third compared to the same period in history.

As the largest creditor, France was naturally kidnapped. The more they invested, the less the Paris Government could afford to let go.

Mexico was not without the capacity to repay; as long as the rebellion was suppressed, the Silver Empire could soon extricate itself from crisis.

The actions of England and France also affected Austria. The Vienna Government was exceedingly annoyed by the restless Americans.

Looking at the data provided by Earl Humeraul, the Governor of Central America, Franz felt it was necessary to teach the Americans a lesson, to show them the depth of the sky and the breadth of the earth.

Franz asked, “How much investment do the Americans have in the Central American region?”

Colonial Minister József Jellacic replied, “About three million Divine Shields.”

These basic facts were clear in József Jellacic’s mind. If not for the Civil War, the Central American region would have been the Americans’ private land.

As early as a decade ago, the Americans were penetrating the Central American region. Only after the Civil War erupted and Austria occupied the area did the actions of the Americans quiet down.

Franz said nonchalantly, “Then keep an eye on them, and confiscate anything the moment a problem arises.”

Austrian colonies did not welcome foreign capital. While foreign capital would drive the economic development of the colonies, regrettably, that was not what the Vienna Government wanted.

Stability over everything else, Franz would rather develop slowly with the resources at hand than allow foreign powers to intervene.

On the surface, foreign capital seemed to encourage colonial economic development, but in this era, overseas investment was the vanguard of colonial expansion.

Injecting various muddled ideologies was also one of the means by which nations stabbed each other in the back. Without vigilance, a colonial rebellion might erupt before the economy had even developed.

In the late 19th century, all major colonial rebellions were manipulated by international powers. That is the main reason why countries close their colonial markets.

The American region was too far from Vienna, so inevitably, control over the colonies weakened. The Americans saw an opportunity and came to cause trouble.

Seizing these American investments would serve as a warning to the Federal Government. Of course, it wouldn’t be that simple; Austria only played a leading role, and the follow-up would need other nations to join in.

Before the American Civil War, their capital had already penetrated many areas of North America, such as Mexico and Cuba.

When America was powerful, the nations feared their strength, and naturally, no one touched these investments. Now, the situation had changed, and the divided Federal Government no longer had the power to protect these overseas investments.

If they remained obedient, perhaps no extreme actions would be taken. But how could capital ever be content?

Without a sufficient market, and with an inadequate domestic economic cycle, capitalists striving to survive were bound to cause trouble.

Based on the intelligence in his hands, Franz could be certain that the internal strife within the United States Federation was extremely fierce, and their outward expansion was out of desperation.

Unless a major event occurred in Europe, under the suppression of the nations, they had no chance of developing.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” replied Minister of Colonization József Jellacic.

This was just a minor episode; Franz’s focus was still on the African Continent. Since the Vienna Government passed the domestication laws, the European nations’ interest in the African Continent had escalated to a new level.

England and France reacted most fiercely among them. The French responded immediately; Napoleon III decided to follow the trend. The Paris Government drew up the North African Province Plan, preparing to incorporate this region into the mainland.

However, Europe’s strategic priority, coupled with the impact of insufficient immigration, meant that this plan remained on paper and could not be fully implemented in time.

The British reaction was much more vehement; following suit was out of the question. Localizing colonies is not suitable for maritime nations, and even if they were to force it, they wouldn’t choose Africa!

Looking at the map, one can see that France and Austria’s influence on the African Continent are already very strong. To curb the expansionist momentum of these two countries, the London Government is preparing to take control of Ethiopia and Somalia first, linking East and South Africa as one.

Compared to the original timeline, the British plans for Africa have been scaled back a lot. They merely occupy the southeastern corners, without crossing into Egypt.

Ethiopia and Somalia are the last link in Austria’s Africa strategy. Once the plan is completed, much of the African Continent would be under Austria’s control.

The British naturally could not ignore this; moreover, they had long set their sights on Ethiopia. Since their occupation of Aden in 1839, they have been infiltrating the area.

Now there are several feudal sub-states’ lords who have colluded with the British. Not long after the British Consul, Finney-Cameron, visited the Turkish Sultan, he canceled the military supply to Ethiopia.

At this time, Theodore II of Ethiopia made a foolish move and directly detained the British consul.

Without a doubt, Ethiopia had just handed the excuse to the British on a silver platter. How could John Bull maintain his face in the world without teaching them a lesson with the Empire’s iron fist?

Franz had been planning to get involved, but in recent years Austria had a bad reputation on the African Continent. With no discretion in their actions, others would avoid them at all costs, so how could they possibly get involved?

This was unavoidable; Austria’s many colonies naturally didn’t come from giving away free phone credit. They were fought for, each inch gained with a blade or a gun.

When encountering problems on the European Continent, Franz would think twice before acting. But on the African Continent, it was the opposite extreme—acting recklessly without regard for the consequences.

Diplomacy? Unfortunately, the colonial government didn’t even have such a department. Problems that could be solved with bayonets and cannons would definitely not be dealt with in any other way.

On the African Continent, there were very few issues that could not be resolved with bayonets and cannons. As a result, Austria became friendless there. Even if they offered weapons assistance proactively, people might not dare accept it.

There was naturally no need to change this manner of conduct. At that time, European nations were all the same; no one cared about colonial playthings, and shameless colonists even considered themselves as purveyors of human civilization.

Franz asked, “It’s only a matter of time before the British invade Ethiopia. Does the Colonial Department have any plans?”

The Colonial Minister Yosip Yelacic replied, “Your Majesty, the gap between the two sides’ strengths is vast; there is no suspense in this war.

Our sphere of influence already borders Ethiopia. This African country is vast in size, and the British can’t swallow it in one bite. The Colonial Department plans to take a share of the spoils.”

But this share of the spoils is probably more than just a share. Even if Austria swallowed up more than half of Ethiopia, Franz wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.

The British aim to curb Austria’s expansion on the African Continent because Austria’s local power is too strong.

If not limited, they would eventually be driven out. Anyone informed knows how unfavorably the British colonial companies have been faring recently in Africa.

It’s not that they weren’t trying, but life was genuinely hard. No sooner had they established colonial outposts than they would be attacked by modernized African armies.

As the attackers were African natives, naturally, it had nothing to do with Austria. Without evidence, the London Government was powerless to respond.

Sending out troops for suppression was nonsense. In the vast African Continent, how could the attackers be found?

In retaliation, the British also organized black troops, and the two sides fought bitterly.

But those who couldn’t hold out were the British—not that they were unskilled in battle, but there were just too few of them.

At its peak, there were as many as thousands of casualties among soldiers per year, with many British colonial companies going bankrupt due to being unable to afford the compensation.

Under these circumstances, the British colonies on the African Continent inevitably shrank. It wasn’t until after the two countries reached an agreement that the situation began to improve.

The British are adept at summarizing experience; they quickly realized that it was only by venturing deep into the mainland jungles that they would suffer losses. Establishing outposts in coastal areas and relying on fortifications for defense was still very safe.

Now, British expansion involves building fortresses along the way. With fortress works in place, they were not afraid of sneak attacks from black troops.

All these were clandestine struggles; the Austrian army couldn’t possibly take the field in person, so the two sides were at a stalemate.

Due to the costs involved, British expansion in Africa was curbed, and they were often forced to give up spheres of influence. After all, Austria wasn’t the only one playing dirty; the French weren’t far behind in such actions.

With many enemies, the British often couldn’t even figure out who had launched the sneak attacks. Framing and defamation are routine tactics in the scramble for colonies—no one has any integrity.

This is also why the British are so eager to occupy Ethiopia. Only by taking control here would they have a large number of cannon fodder troops to fight the underground war against Austria.

Franz said unflinchingly, “Secretly send people to sell arms to Ethiopia, let them put up a fiercer resistance.”