Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 534

Chapter 534: Chapter 107, Prologue
 

Any grand strategy requires long-term preparation and cannot be achieved overnight. The primary strategy for Austria now is to promote the Second Industrial Revolution and develop the African Continent.

The Middle East Region can only come second; as for other strategies, they are like trying to catch hares by spreading hay—that is, success would be welcome, but failure is not an issue.

If we can hold on for a few more decades, the situation will be set. This is what we have learned from the Americans: Regardless of other factors, there is always something to be gained from the experience of the successful.

To cheat the various nations into a trap is not easy, especially now when it is an era full of heroes and there are just too many clever people around.

In recent years, the French have been keeping a low profile and digesting their victories, and Napoleon III’s health has started to deteriorate; hence, they are currently busy paving the way for Napoleon IV.

Under such circumstances, the French obviously will not court disaster by causing trouble. If we want to scheme against them, there’s no way to proceed.

Franz estimates that not only will Napoleon III adopt a conservative strategy in his final days, but France will continue to pursue a conservative strategy for a long time even after Napoleon IV assumes the throne.

Including Austria, European nations are supporting the Italian independence movement. Nevertheless, this has been to no avail, as peak-era France easily suppressed these minor disturbances.

One should not think that just because Prussia won a gamble in the original timeline, France is an easy target: in fact, the combat strength of the French Army remains among the top in the world. If not for Napoleon III’s misguided command, the final outcome would still be uncertain.

In terms of comprehensive national power, France ranks only after England and Austria, far surpassing other European countries. If we consider all factors, the Russian Empire, which follows closely behind, has less than half the strength of France.

Modern warfare is all about logistics, and industrial nations have a huge advantage over agricultural nations—advantages that cannot simply be made up for with numbers.

In order to ensure the successful completion of the plan, the Vienna Government is conspiring with the Russians to deal with the Ottoman Empire, while simultaneously stirring up activities within Prussia.

…

In a manor on the outskirts of Berlin, a secret meeting of the Prussian Radical faction was underway.

The meeting’s chair, a young leader of the Junker aristocracy, Count Marcel Jansen began, “Gentlemen, we have just received a message through secret channels that the Russians are courting Austria to conspire against the Ottoman Empire.”

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense; despite their distaste for the Ottoman Empire—many even wished to see its demise—they obviously could not afford for this to happen now.

The last Prusso-Russian war had proven the importance of the Ottoman Empire. At a critical moment in the war, the Ottoman Empire stabbed the Russians in the back, speeding up the Tsarist Government’s admission of defeat.

A young military officer anxiously inquired, “Count, has the Vienna Government agreed to this?”

Allies are allies, but Prussia was physically separated from the Ottomans by Austria, rendering Prussia unable to react effectively to any sudden crises.

In the face of a joint Russian-Austrian effort, even the Ottoman Empire at its peak might not have been daunted, but now even one of these adversaries was more than they could handle.

Count Marcel Jansen shook his head, “I don’t know. Such high-level information is known by no more than ten people in Austria and Russia and would not be leaked. Had it not been for a chance encounter, we wouldn’t have even received news of their secret contact.

However, given the enmity between the Habsburg dynasty and the Ottoman Empire, it’s only a matter of time before Austria moves against the Ottomans.”

This was tantamount to an implicit confirmation—no wonder that was their conclusion. Just by looking through the history books, one would know that the Habsburg dynasty and the Ottoman Empire had been entangled for centuries.

The Habsburg dynasty’s dominance over Europe—or, indeed, most of the world—was overturned by the “Holy Alliance” formed by the Ottomans and France, with the Habsburg dynasty coming close to losing Vienna in a time of crisis.

Given the strength of France, seeking revenge would be too difficult. Now, with little conflict of interest between France and Austria, the likelihood of the two coming to blows was very low.

It was different for the Ottoman Empire, however, not only because of its feud with Austria but also because the Ottomans were already in decline.

Those who fall behind get beaten; this is the essence of the world.

If Austria were to attack another country, it might still have to consider the pressure of European public opinion and domestic public sentiment. But attacking the Ottoman Empire? That would require no consideration at all; they could just go straight ahead.

The Ottoman Empire is just so disliked that while governments in Europe might oppose it out of interest, the public would not mind seeing the Ottomans get thrashed.

The young military officer Little Maoqi worried, “What can we do? If Austria and the Russians join forces, the Ottomans certainly won’t be able to hold them off, and we wouldn’t be able to intervene in time.”

“Exactly, Austria stands in the way; we can’t even offer them support.”

“Should we start a Prusso-Russian war in advance?”

“No, that would drag Austria into it.”

…

Watching the vigorous discussions among the attendees, Count Marcel Jansen waved for silence.

“Gentlemen, the situation is not as bad as you think. Austria and the Russians moving against the Ottoman Empire can also be an opportunity for us.

Countless pieces of evidence show that you cannot rely on allies; in critical moments, it is one’s own strength that counts.

If we can annex Poland while the Russians and Austrians are preoccupied, then the situation will be entirely different,” he said.

At this point, Count Marcel Jansen paused, giving everyone time to digest his words.

Annexing Poland is not news. Inside the Kingdom of Prussia, there had always been voices advocating for this; with the Kingdom of Poland under control, Prussia would be nearly invincible.

After the merger of Prussia and Poland, although their combined strength still fell behind that of Russia, the power that could be committed to the battlefield was definitely not much less than that of the Russians.

Poland’s water transport was well-developed; a few more railways built in supplementation would solve the transportation issue. The Tsarist Government, on the other hand, would not be able to resolve the transportation problem without decades of work.

Even with prior preparations, the Russian Army might not lack food, but strategic materials still posed a major problem. Not all supplies could be stockpiled in advance; many things simply could not be kept for long periods.

These advantages might not be enough for Prussia to win a war, but they would certainly suffice to hold onto their heritage.

It’s true that the Russians were numerous, but after the Prusso-Polish merger, the population was not insignificant, almost half that of the Russians. It would now be much more difficult for the Tsarist Government to win a war with human wave tactics.

Little Maoqi, “Count, this is probably very hard to achieve. The Ottoman Empire is no longer the same as it was two hundred years ago; they lack the capacity to contain Russia and Austria at the same time.

Moreover, if we were to annex Poland, other European countries would not agree, even England and France would most likely oppose.”

That was the crux of the issue—if not for the opposition of everyone, Prussia would have annexed Poland right after the Prusso-Russian War.

Count Marcel Jansen smiled leisurely, “This is where skill comes into play. We’re not strangers to how Austria established the New Roman Empire, are we?

How did Metternich get the European countries to compromise? We can copy his approach. Create a fait accompli first, and then depending on the situation, cede some benefits to gain recognition from other countries.

Mainly, we need to persuade England, France, and Austria. Russia is already an enemy, so their stance doesn’t matter much.

We should have faith in our Foreign Ministry’s capability; convincing the three countries is not impossible. For instance, supporting Austria in annexing the German Federation—I do not believe the Vienna Government would be unmoved. If the Austrians took that step, would England and France still concern themselves with us?”

For the sake of advancing the Kingdom of Prussia, Count Marcel Jansen did not mind making concessions. If it weren’t for the fact that there were many “teenagers” present, he might have also suggested ceding the Rhineland region to France.

Having dealt with France and Austria, a fact on the ground had essentially been established. Even if the British were dissatisfied, they would have no capacity to attend to them.

Sharp-minded people had already guessed Count Marcel Jansen’s plan, but for the sake of their own interests, no one punctured this thin veil.

If you looked closely, you would notice that those attending the meeting were essentially military Junkers, or rather “agricultural Junkers.” Their interests lay primarily in land, and to them, Poland’s fertile land was far more valuable than the poor soils of the north.

A young military officer objected, “That won’t do, Count. If we give up the German Federation Empire, then Austria would become unchallengeable. Even if we annexed Poland, we wouldn’t be their match.”

Austria’s power was already formidable, and there was a tacit understanding among European nations to suppress Austria’s unification of the Germany Region. The Kingdom of Prussia was a member of this accord.

Count Marcel Jansen shook his head, “Reis, you’re still too young. Who is most anxious about Austria annexing the German Federation?

Our current enemy is Russia, not Austria. It’s not our task to contain Austria. England and France would not stand by and watch their expansion.”

This kind of capriciousness was not a unique creation of Count Marcel Jansen; he had learned it from Austria.

On the surface, the Vienna Government may seem to have the will but lacked the power, seemingly always a step behind in containing its rivals.

In truth, by examining the changes on Austria’s map, one would realize there was trickery involved.

It wasn’t a matter of allowing French-Russian expansions; it was clear that there had been secret deals for joint expansion. This inspired Count Marcel Jansen profoundly. If Austria could act thus, why couldn’t Prussia follow suit?

…

The seeds had been planted; all that was left was for them to take root and sprout.

After the secret meeting ended, the following day, Count Marcel Jansen entered the Palace openly and without pomp, still serving as Little Wilhelm’s riding instructor—his presence was quite ordinary.

In the royal racecourse, several princes were engaged in equestrian training, and Wilhelm I had already arrived unnoticed.

“What are their reactions?”

Count Marcel Jansen, “Everyone is very supportive of annexing Poland; only a limited few opposed giving up the German Federation, but I persuaded them.”

Wilhelm I nodded, “Hmm, proceed discreetly in pushing this initiative. Don’t rush to expose ourselves before war breaks out again in the Near East.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

…

Should anyone overhear the conversation between the two, they would be truly astonished to find the radical faction was actually supported by Wilhelm I.

On reflection, this was not surprising as it was quite normal for a monarch to plant trustworthy individuals in various organizations. Who wouldn’t incorporate an extreme group like the radical faction under one’s control for peace of mind?

A king’s forcefulness relied on power; without any leverage, what else could be expected beyond being a rubber stamp?

At the moment, Wilhelm I’s heart was troubled as well; the suggestion had come from his staff, and he was suspicious that there was hidden Austrian or French influence.

However, considering the benefits, Wilhelm I decided to play the fool. Allow Austria to annex the German Federation and cede the Rhineland to France? Did they think him an idiot, unaware of the political consequences this would bring?

By that point, nationalist uprisings would ignite domestically. Even while accepting this plan, Wilhelm I was prepared for what might come.

Poland was to be annexed, but the German Federation needed to be preserved, and the Rhineland could not be given up to France.

He was just waiting for the right moment to leak the news to the British, so they would act to sabotage the true instigators’ plans, with Prussia reaping the greatest benefit.