Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 483

Chapter 483: Chapter 56, When the snipe and the clam grapple, it is the fisherman who profits.
 

The uprising in Rome presented many with opportunities to kick someone when they were down. International public opinion was overwhelmingly against the French government, including criticism from the French media itself.

There was no alternative, as this was a consequence of the ideological chaos. Some supported religious reform, while others opposed it, and many objected just for the sake of objection.

Perhaps Napoleon III had grown accustomed to this, as domestic public opinion didn’t seem to have much impact on him, and he went about suppressing the rebellion as planned.

This greatly disappointed the British. The Italian uprising failed to shake the foundation of France; as long as Paris remained stable, it was unlikely that the Greater French Empire would collapse.

As expected, the grandiose Roman uprising lasted less than a week before the French quashed it. To be precise, after withstanding an assault for one morning, the Rebel Army was routed.

A rabble is a rabble, after all. The hastily organized uprising appeared imposing, but its internal organizational structure was in utter chaos.

The Revolutionaries were never able to control the situation from beginning to end. Although the Church participated in the uprising, they feared the French’s power and lacked confidence in the revolution.

A fuss for the sake of it—the crying child gets the milk. By showing their strength to the French, they aimed to negotiate more favorable terms for themselves, but they never intended to fight the French to the death.

When the French Rebellion Suppression Army swiftly arrived at the scene, sensing the unfavorable momentum, these people quickly switched their allegiance, betraying the Revolutionary Party.

Without British intervention, the Italian independence movement plunged into a trough. Apart from a part of the dispersed guerrilla troops continuing their resistance, the cities once controlled by the rebel forces fell back into French hands.

In London, Prime Minister Benjamin had been in a great deal of distress lately, with the situation in South Africa reaching a critical point; he received urgent telegrams for assistance thrice a day, all arriving punctually.

Having painstakingly orchestrated an Italian independence movement, it had barely commenced before heading towards an untimely end. The Italians had a strong spirit of independence, but they lacked practical combat capability.

There were many armchair revolutionaries, proficient at shouting slogans. However, on the battlefield, these individuals were often the first to flee.

Of course, it wasn’t all for naught; following the failure of the uprising, Italy’s cultural industry developed significantly, giving rise to a large group of artists.

The artistic creations of the Italians were not a concern for Prime Minister Benjamin, as he was preoccupied with considering the aftermath.

Having experienced so many calamities during his term, he could virtually announce his nonparticipation in the next election, to avoid the potential disgrace of a crushing defeat.

If he couldn’t remain in office next term, so be it; Prime Minister Benjamin no longer cared. However, he must address the current issues, or he could be forced out before the election even took place.

Queen Victoria, usually not one to interfere in politics, had already summoned him three times this week, demanding he promptly devise a solution to the pressing issues at hand.

…

Looking worried, Foreign Minister McLean analyzed, “Your Excellency, the current situation is highly unfavorable to us. France and Austria have now joined forces.

The Vienna Government has tacitly consented to the French annexation of Italy, abstaining from interference throughout, or otherwise, the Italian independence movement wouldn’t have failed so rapidly.

In the Mediterranean Region, they have worked together to corner us; in the South African region, they have also united to seize the Cape of Good Hope.

From a strategic perspective, this France-Austrian Alliance isn’t merely an expansion on the European Continent; it is very likely aimed at usurping naval superiority.

“Now we are losing the Mediterranean, and if we lose the Cape of Good Hope, the distance to the Indian Ocean will significantly increase.”

“This is not without consequence for our control over the Indian region, including influence over the Far Eastern region. The Austrians’ reach has already extended deep into the Arabian Peninsula, getting very close to India.”

“For the moment, the Royal Navy can still suppress their ambitions, but with the backdrop of the France-Austria union, it’s unknown how long that can last.”

“Now is the time we must change our diplomatic policies. I propose we recognize the Greater French Empire in exchange for the French allowing us to join the alliance.”

“Joining the alliance is not as simple as it sounds. Now that the French have annexed the Italian Area, Austria hasn’t gained much, and with the Paris Government compromising, the Vienna Government will definitely be dissatisfied.”

“Although we can’t be certain of the specifics of the France-Austria Alliance, McLean is sure that Austria hasn’t received the benefits stipulated in the treaty.”

“The gains from the South African region alone, in his view, are not enough to cover Austria’s appearance fee, especially since Austria has invested heavily in the South African conflict and is struggling to recoup costs.”

“From the perspective of interests, when two parties go into business together and one makes a huge profit while the other operates at a loss, such cooperation is doomed to fail.”

“Prime Minister Benjamin rubbed his forehead, falling into hesitation. Recognizing the Greater French Empire is easy, but the aftermath is quite severe.”

“This means that our arch-enemy, France, has grown stronger once again. On the surface, with the annexation of the Italian Area, the French Empire has seen a direct increase of a third in its comprehensive national power.”

“If they complete their internal integration, the French will continue to grow stronger, and Britannia will lose many of its advantages over France.”

“Unlike Austria, which is blocked by France and Spain, the London Government doesn’t feel too much pressure.”

“France across the Channel is different; the British have to face this pressure directly, and the London Government has always been extremely vigilant.”

“Let’s try it then, the France-Austria union poses too great a threat, and we must break them up. There are also many in the Austrian Government who oppose the Greater French Empire, and these people can be utilized.”

“Having made this decision, Prime Minister Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief. Although the Royal Navy has always solemnly assured that it can protect Britannia’s safety, facing up against two major powers, he still felt the pressure.”

“He too is out of luck, for as the pages of British diplomatic history turn, this must be their most isolated era.”

“After the tireless efforts of his predecessors and the expensive tuition paid by the nations of Europe, they are no longer so easily cheated.”

“Seeing the tendency of France and Austria to form an alliance, everyone chose to protect themselves wisely. Opposing the establishment of the Greater French Empire is correct, but they all stop at lip service, and their actual actions remain in a wait-and-see state.”

“This greatly troubled Prime Minister Benjamin—the Anti-French Alliance has become a shell of its former self, and the covertly agitated Anti-Austrian alliance is not even worth mentioning since they dare not bring it up at this time.”

“If they happen to provoke, France and Austria might simply tear off their last facade and openly partition Europe, then they would be shooting themselves in the foot.”

“A battle for dominance over the European Continent between France and Austria is inevitable, which was a concept introduced by his predecessor, Prime Minister John Russell, and they even propagated it to drive a wedge between the two countries.”

“Plans never keep up with changes. That France and Austria would have conflicts over European dominance is the consensus of everyone, but when this conflict will erupt is hard to say.”

“For example: Now there’s another widely circulated thought between France and Austria—that is, to clear the field first to prevent others from stepping in as the fisherman benefits.”

“This is really tough; both parties intend to restrain the conflict, wanting to get rid of the fisherman before the final battle. This makes the situation awkward for them as the fisherman.”

After resolving a difficult issue, another old problem resurfaced. Colonial Minister Louis began, “Gentlemen, the situation on the South African battlefield is critical, and all of you have seen the telegrams requesting reinforcements.

If we don’t want to lose the Cape of Good Hope, then we must dispatch reinforcements as quickly as possible! Casualties at the front are substantial. If we are slow to react, they might just surrender to the enemy.”

Using the threat of surrender to force the government to send reinforcements was hardly a clever scheme. The London Government would indeed make compromises now, but there would be a reckoning come fall.

There was no doubt this was not Governor Delf’s doing. As a politician, he would not put himself at risk.

However, there were those unafraid of the London Government, like the Civil Colonial Company. They were an important component of the South African Armed Forces, had no involvement in politics, had backing, and simply didn’t care about offending the Cabinet.

Not just the Colonial Company, but also the middle and lower echelons of the colonial bureaucracy didn’t care about the London Government. They weren’t military personnel with the duty to defend land, and even if there were post-war liabilities, it wouldn’t affect these small-fry.

This non-threatening telegram appeared in the midst of the London Government. If reinforcements were indefinitely delayed and no visible hope of victory was present, these people really might surrender just to save their own lives.

The atmosphere fell into an awkward silence, as everyone had seen the recent casualty reports from the Governor of Cape Town’s Office.

To the layman, it was merely a set of numbers. An average loss of seven to eight hundred a day, with more than ten times that in spectacular victories—such losses were nothing to mention.

Laymen watch the excitement, experts see the technique. Those present knew some military basics and were well aware of where this could lead.

Keep in mind that the enemy was currently attacking with cannon fodder armies, disposable in massive numbers, and their heavy losses were of no concern to the enemy.

The impact on the morale and spirit of the troops could be imagined. The optimal choice was to launch a counteroffensive, engage in a decisive battle with the enemy, otherwise, if they continued this stalemate, they would suffer.

Once bitten, twice shy.

Governor Delf had engaged the enemy more than a dozen times, all ending in failure, and had lost all his confidence and courage to fight a decisive battle outside the city walls.

The London Government also did not dare issue such an order, for fear of shouldering responsibility. Although the British forces in Cape Town were numerous, none had the courage to fight.

Governor Delf hoped the London Government would send more troops to use overwhelming force to crush the opposition, while the London Government had no troops to send.

The British Army was only so large, and should forces be fully deployed today, Ireland could erupt in an independence uprising tomorrow. The London Government was well-aware of the Irish public’s desire for independence.

If the Army were to expand, the Minister of the Navy would be the first to object. Expansion was easy, but reduction was difficult.

Once the Army’s size increased, scaling it back would not be so simple. Even by a simple guess, everyone knew the Army would find ample excuses to retain its increased establishment.

It was clear to everyone present that, although the situation in South Africa was dire, it had not reached the point of immediate collapse. With so many troops in Britannia, as long as nothing went wrong internally, the enemy could not take Cape Town in a short time.

The role the Army played behind this crisis was a question difficult to answer.

Do not look to the silent Army Minister; in fact, the Army Department had already made great efforts to push for expansion plans.

This South African war had provided them with an excellent opportunity. If the London Government were to continue sending reinforcements, then they would have to expand the Army first.

Army Minister Fox waved his hand and said, “Don’t look at me. As you all know, Britain’s Army is quite small. Our officers and soldiers are all busy, and there are no spare forces to reinforce the Cape Town front line.”

“Governor Derfu insists on a hundred thousand reinforcements, right? As long as the Cabinet agrees to expand the army by a hundred thousand, I can send the reinforcements within a month,” he said.

Send the reinforcements in a month—that would be unbelievable if there were no prior preparations.

Of course, there is also the possibility that this is just boasting, something that has happened more than once. All sorts of unexpected accidents will occur, serving as excuses for delayed deployment.

“If I remember correctly, the Boer Republican Army has thirty or forty thousand soldiers, not even half the force of Cape Town’s garrison,” Minister of the Navy Robert scoffed.

“The war has come to this point, and they still have the audacity to ask for an expansion of forces. Isn’t this a waste of Britannia’s resources?”

Before Fox could retort, Robert pressed on, “Don’t be hasty in explaining, I know you want to say that the enemy has a bunch of servant armies. But do you really count natives who are hastily conscripted and charge with sticks as an army?

“Our colonial forces are not entirely elite, but the enemy’s forces are equally a rabble. Since the outbreak of the war, not a single Austrian regular force has appeared on the battlefield.

“The composition of the Boer Republican Army is clear to all. It’s just a bunch of civilian militias who recruited some able-bodied men on the spot and fought their way from Transvaal to Cape Town.

“You should reflect on why our army’s combat effectiveness is so poor?

“Enough of the army’s blunders over the years. Instead of thinking about improving the troops’ combat effectiveness, you just want to increase the numbers. On the battlefield, that would only serve victories to the enemy on a silver platter.”

There was no personal grudge between Robert and Fox, but their roles dictated their stances. When it came to the struggle for military funds, as Minister of the Navy, Robert hit the Army where it hurt.

Angry, Fox slapped the table and retorted, “Nonsense. The British Army’s combat effectiveness doesn’t match the Austrians because of insufficient military funding.

“Just compare the military budget of both sides, it’s enough to explain everything. Since the outbreak of the South African War, we’ve continuously been outgunned by the enemy. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have suffered so many defeats!”

Arguing who fears whom, the reason is plenty. To have risen to their current positions, they’ve all come up fighting verbally against others.

The rivalry between the Navy and Army exists in nearly every country. Prime Minister Benjamin had to intervene, as now both sides had valid points, and he was the only one left without any.

“Enough, this is not the place for your quarrel, if you want to argue, go outside,” he said.

Looking at each other, both men fell silent. The issue of army expansion was also shelved. Robert felt no joy in victory, and Fox had no dissatisfaction in defeat.

Obviously, this had happened many times before; almost every time, the government would support the Navy and then appease the Army, slightly improving their conditions or modestly expanding their numbers.

The issue of reinforcements for Cape Town was quickly resolved. John Bull is not afraid of death so long as there are still Indians to be used as cannon fodder.

The only problem was that the finances couldn’t bear it. A task that ten thousand British soldiers could accomplish might not be achievable even by fifty thousand Indian troops.

It looks cheap on the surface, but only those who have used them know the actual cost. If the quality isn’t up to par, they make up for it in quantity.

The fact that British forces had to enter the battlefield themselves in the original timeline’s World War demonstrates that the Indian Colonial Army’s cost-effectiveness was not enough.

Otherwise, the London Government would have already used the Indian Colonial Army to overwhelm the enemy with numbers.