Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 239

Chapter 239: Chapter 126, No Choice
The future naval development strategy, Franz did not immediately decide; this would have to wait until after the Near East War ended.

However, the funding for the construction of the ironclad ships was readily approved. After all, the political gains alone from spending millions of shields to obtain the honor of having the world’s first ironclad ship would be enough to break even.

The New Holy Roman Empire had just been established, and the government needed good news to boost morale. Spending a few million shields on warships to buy a wave of national pride was far better than wasteful vanity projects.

Global cruising was not something that could be carried out in the short term—it would require at least a fleet of ironclad ships to have a truly awe-inspiring effect.

Franz was not one to squander wealth; he would not mass-produce a bunch of ships before the superiority of the first ironclad was proven.

Once the first generation of ironclads were built and the shipyard had gained experience, it would be easier to proceed with technical upgrades.

As for the performance issues of early ironclads, Franz was not worried at all. If it came to it, they could eventually be upgraded and sold to the Americans during the Civil War era.

It wasn’t just the Americans who were major international clients; the Russians were also potential big customers, despite being a bit poor.

However, Franz was not concerned; he could simply coax the Russians in the future to collaborate on naval R&D as a way to save on expenses.

The French did this before World War I, dragging the Russians into the pit with them. While everybody else was rolling out dreadnoughts, these two countries failed to catch on, building an entire fleet that could have been retired without ever having served.

Therefore, competing for the honor of “the first ironclad ship” was even more important, as brand effects are the foundation for fetching good prices.

Always being half a step ahead in each technological innovation would naturally leave the impression of superior technology to the outside world.

One shouldn’t think politicians are that knowledgeable; in reality, most of them could make decisions at the drop of a hat. The first things they weigh are interests, then impressions.

Just like with ordinary goods, branded products always sell for higher prices, while unbranded goods can only fetch market stall prices.

Military products obviously cannot be sold at market stall prices; doing so would be a huge loss.

Currently, the weapons Austria sells to the Russians are priced just as they were on the international market before the war, yet the net profit is no less than thirty percent, illustrating the exorbitant profits typical in the arms market.

In the Balkan Peninsula, ever since the countries of England, France, and Austria reached an agreement on the Greek issue at the Paris Conference, the Allied Forces naturally withdrew from the Kingdom of Greek.

Next door was the Montenegro Duchy which they needed to deal with; Major General Oliver did not have the time to continue playing with the Greek people. Under the consensus of the great powers, the Greeks had no choice left.

Accepting the terms meant becoming a semi-colonial, semi-capitalist state; under the mutual check of the great powers, the Kingdom of Greek could maintain its territory without worrying about national survival. If they refused the demands of the countries, they would soon become history.

Having subdued the Greek people, the morale of the Allied Forces finally began to recover. Neither the British Army nor the Sardinian Army took the Montenegro Duchy seriously—only the Ottoman Army, who often clashed with Montenegro, knew it was a tough nut to crack.

Major General Oliver, now promoted to Lieutenant General after winning a battle, was not very pleased with the Ottomans’ dawdling. He had just secured the position of Commander of the Expeditionary Force.

One couldn’t help but acknowledge the importance of having strong support; compared to other British officers, Oliver was not even forty years old when he reached the position of Lieutenant General, which could make many feel ashamed.

Liaison Officer Amedeo Biavati said with dissatisfaction, “Your Excellency Commander, the Ottomans have refused our joint military request, citing the need to reclaim lost lands and clear the rebellion.”

In his view, everyone was helping the Ottomans in war, and while their allies had not failed, the Ottoman Army was the first to back down.

However, he couldn’t blame the Ottoman Government because in the previous battle, the armies of England and France had directly caused the main force of the Ottoman Army to be decimated.

To placate the Ottomans, the two governments promised that they could sit out the rest of the battles.

Oliver thought for a moment and then said, “Forget it, the Montenegro Duchy is not even worth mentioning. Whether the Ottomans participate in the upcoming battle doesn’t matter.”

Oliver was quite confident in saying this; the British Army suffered no significant losses in the attack on Greece, and together with the troops from the Kingdom of Sardinia, they now had sixty-five thousand men.

How many troops did the enemy have? Even if the Montenegro Duchy crazily conscripted in the newly occupied territories, it was to no avail, as the Ottomans had already plundered the area first, leaving few able-bodied men.

Even if they incorporated their kinsmen from the captives, the Montenegro Duchy barely managed to piece together forty thousand troops, and their combat effectiveness remained questionable.

Oliver was brimming with confidence; believing that this ragtag group hastily assembled could withstand the siege of their heavy forces was pure fantasy.

Having one fewer Ottoman cannon fodder did not bother Oliver. As a senior officer, Lieutenant General Oliver was politically savvy.

The London Government now hoped that the Ottoman Empire could maintain a certain level of strength after the war to continue guarding the Portal of the Black Sea.

The British had already seen the strength of the Russians and did not want another Near East War, having lost confidence that they could completely defeat Russia.

Even winning in the Balkan Peninsula and on the Crimea Peninsula was not enough to doom the Russians. Continuing to attack towards Russian territory itself was a loss they could not bear.

In this context, it naturally leads to the idea of utilizing diplomatic means. Although the Ottoman Empire is in a state of decay, it is precisely because of this decay that the London Government feels reassured in allowing them to guard the Golden Waterway.

The Sultan Government needs to quickly restore its strength, which is obviously not an easy task. A single Eastern War has left the entire Balkan Peninsula battered and broken.

Since the Ottomans are unwilling to participate in the subsequent battles, Major General Oliver cannot force them, didn’t you see the French guarding Constantinople alone?

Now that the losses are so severe, there is no complaint about asking for allies’ help. Of course, this does not rule out the French fearing being cheated by their allies.

Great powers still need credibility. Having made promises, they must be fulfilled. If they breach the contract time and again, nobody would want to engage with you, not even the Great Britain Empire.

Without any hesitation, Major General Oliver led the British-Sardinian Allied Forces majestically towards the Albania region, with the great battle imminent.

Facing the menacing approach of the Allied Forces, the Montenegro Duchy panicked. Unlike with the Ottomans whom they faced often, losing their reverence, they were still very wary of the British.

Though small, the sparrow has all the vital organs.

The various departments of the Montenegro government were well-established, fully proving that they were a nation, not just a mountain stronghold.

Danilo I solemnly stated, “Gentlemen, the Eastern War has progressed to now, and the battlefield’s development has completely exceeded our control.

After a hard-fought battle, we have successfully taken Shkodër Fortress and conquered half of Albania, securing the port we have long dreamed of.

Behind these glorious victories, we have also paid a heavy price, with nearly four thousand warriors falling on the battlefield, the war has emptied our national treasury, and now we are still in massive debt to Austria.

Strategically speaking, we have gained everything we wanted; the Montenegro Duchy is tired and lacks the strength to continue the fight.

Now everyone needs to think about how to consolidate control over the territories we have occupied.”

Clearly, the desire to fight had been drained from Danilo I, who wanted to secure his gains.

There was no help for it; Montenegro’s capital was too small after all. They had occupied territory several times larger than their homeland, which was already beyond their limit.

What might be just a number to other nations, the loss of four thousand men was a devastating blow for Montenegro, nearly to the point where every family would be in mourning.

Given that they knew the enemy was on the move, they had no choice but to adopt a defensive stance. They went too far in the early stages, investing a lot of their capital, and now Danilo I didn’t dare to play on.

Prime Minister and acting Foreign Minister Claude Derelict analyzed, “Grand Duke, to assimilate the territories we have occupied, it’s only possible if the Russians can win this war.

However, judging by the current situation, the outcome of the war remains unclear.

The British and French have the upper hand on the Crimea Peninsula but cannot defeat Russia in the short term; the Russians have the advantage on the Balkan Peninsula but have been unable to take Constantinople.

If the Russians lose the war, that will spell big trouble for us, as we would undoubtedly face retaliation from the enemy afterwards.”

“Relying on our own strength, we are unlikely to withstand the enemy’s counterattack.”

The Montenegro Chief of General Staff and Army Minister Mirko remarked, “There’s no need to wait for later, according to the intelligence we received, the enemy is already on their way, and within a week the great battle will erupt.

The worthless Greeks talked big about dividing Albania with us before, unwarily they turned out to be so feeble that they can’t even deplete the enemy’s strength.

We are about to face an assault by 65,000 British-Sardinian Allied Forces. The disparity in strength is too great; this war is going to be a tough fight.”

Despite the complaints, when Mirko spoke those words, there was still a hint of eagerness to try. They had their deference for the British, but they were not intimidated.

In order to secure a port and change the dire state of the Montenegro Duchy, they had fought for generations. It was natural that they would not easily give up the gains now in their hands simply because they were wary of the enemy’s superiority.

Danilo I asked, “Is there any possibility of resolving the issue through diplomatic means?”

As a pacifist, he genuinely did not want to fight any longer. The Montenegro Duchy could not continue fighting, as a small country they could only take one bold step, and now that they had finished this one gambit, it was naturally time to rest.

“Your Majesty, I’m afraid that’s not possible. Although England and France have approached us, they have not shown much sincerity.

Not only do they require us to join the Allied Forces and declare war on Russia, but after the war, we will also have to give up most of our gains,” responded Prime Minister and acting Foreign Minister Claude Derelict.

One must have strength to set terms. No matter how impressive the Montenegrin Army’s performance was on the battlefield, it cannot mask their lack of power. Without strength, England and France naturally would not offer a high price.

Moreover, switching sides comes with a price. The Russians are not an easy target either; the current situation on the battlefield is at a deadlock without a clear victor. If one were to choose the wrong side, it would be truly disastrous.