Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 250:

Chapter 250: Chapter 137: The New Vienna System
The Vienna Conference began, with delegations from various countries forming alliances and displaying their talents.

Russia and France attempted to partition the remaining land of the Balkan Peninsula, and naturally, the excluded John Bull was not willing to be left out, pulling the Ottoman Empire into a posture ready for war.

The British threats did not frighten the Russians. After all, they held Constantinople and could blockade the Bosphorus Strait. Should both sides fall out, the British Naval Fleet in the Black Sea would be trapped like fish in a barrel.

With hostages in hand, the mighty bear was full of confidence. As a land power, offending the British was the extent of it. The vast and resource-rich bear could afford such a break, even if it came down to a complete split.

The French government hesitated first, not because Napoleon III was afraid of fighting the British. In fact, for such a trifle, it was practically impossible for a war to erupt between them.

If there were to be a fight, the French Navy was not without the strength for one battle. Perhaps they could not beat the Royal Navy, but they could still inflict serious damage.

Such high-risk gambling was not something the London Government would wager on rashly. In the Age of Sail, navies were too easily destroyed. A bloodbath between two great powers would leave no victor.

The main issue was still one of interest. Anyone sharing borders with the bear had to be wary. Napoleon III wanted the benefits without the risks.

France alone absorbing regions such as Macedonia, Albania, Thessaloniki, and Epirus seemed profitable, but after the great war, the Balkan’s economy had already collapsed.

War destruction, waves of refugees, plague—so many problems combined, the population of the Balkan Peninsula was reduced by a third, with even fewer able-bodied laborers.

What used to be a piece of fat meat, the Balkan Peninsula, was now lean. Restoring social order would inevitably require a great deal of resources.

Simply put, these gains were no longer sufficient to tempt the French to take risks. Were it not for political needs, Napoleon III would not be interested in the territories of the Balkan Peninsula.

“Gentlemen, arguing like this is no solution. Why not each demarcate our sphere of influence, and then we can discuss?” suggested Metternich.

Having said this, he first marked Austria’s controlled area on the map before passing it to the Russian representative, Carl-Wassell.

With nothing to hesitate about, Carl-Wassell circled his desired targets on the map. Russia and Austria had an agreement, and their spheres of influence did not overlap.

The French followed suit, marking their area of influence. When it was the British turn, Thomas was stunned.

My oh my, with the three countries dividing up the map, the Balkan Peninsula was entirely partitioned. Even if there were islands left unclaimed, they remained in the hands of the Ottoman Empire—and the British were not one to bully an ally in such a way.

With a flash of inspiration, Thomas felt the need to stir up some trouble and not let the enemy get their way so easily.

As for the Ottoman Empire, the unfortunate ally, it would just have to be sacrificed. It was the will of all Europeans, including the British public, so Thomas could not go against the current.

“Gentlemen, the people of the Balkan Peninsula have been enslaved by the Ottoman Empire for so many years. Now that they have returned to the embrace of the civilized world, we should help them achieve independence. How can we continue to enslave them?”

“If such inhumane acts were to occur, how would the world view us? And what would the international community think?”

Metternich rolled his eyes. The four of them could represent the international community. If a single country stepped out of line, it might face condemnation from the nations of Europe. But if the four acted together, rest assured that everyone would keep their mouths shut.

In that era, no one in the world dared oppose England, France, Russia, and Austria simultaneously. Even if the rest of the countries were to band together, they would be no match for these four powers.

“Mr. Thomas worries too much. Why would we enslave the people of the Balkan Peninsula?

You must know that the people of the Balkan Peninsula have long been under the bloody rule of the Ottoman Empire, and many have been poisoned by a barbaric world. We are actually helping them return to the civilized world.

According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, the cultural heritage of the Balkan Peninsula has been severely damaged. Now, the island’s population either aids the Ottoman Empire in oppressing their own people,

or they are illiterate, or traitors to the civilized world. Isn’t the idea of them becoming independent and forming their own country a joke?

It is far better for us, the powers, to supervise them and guide the local people back into the civilized world to prevent the tragedy from continuing.”

After all, it is politically correct to view the Ottomans as barbarians. The term, deeply ingrained in the hearts of every European, has been equated with savagery through centuries of Ottoman rule.

Of course, the Ottoman Empire’s infamy is well-deserved, considering the countless outrages they committed in history. Metternich could provide a plethora of evidence to attest to their barbarism.

These misdeeds remain hidden until they are exposed, no matter if they happened a hundred or two hundred years ago; once brought to light, they all serve as proof of guilt.

In any case, the stain cannot be washed away. At this time, experts still have some scruples and aren’t willing to whitewash the Ottoman Empire’s image.

As a politician, Thomas dared not defend the Ottomans on this matter either, lest the British public not forgive him.

Those in the Balkan Peninsula who have a heritage of culture and knowledge are basically affiliated with the Ottoman Empire. Even if they haven’t betrayed, their ancestors did.

From this perspective, it is somewhat justifiable to categorize these people as remnants of the Ottoman Empire.

Thomas did not dwell on this any further and directly proposed, “Mr. Metternich has a point. In that case, what about international joint administration over the Balkan Peninsula? We can collectively help them return to civilization.

Once they have been brought back to the civilized world, we find an appropriate time for the people of the Balkan Peninsula to establish their own independent nation, to contribute to civilization.”

Upon hearing Thomas’ suggestion, the French representative from Auvergne seemed somewhat tempted, but the Russian’s response was much more vehement.

Carl-Wassell slammed his hand on the table, angrily saying, “Impossible! The people of the Balkan Peninsula have suffered greatly from the Ottomans’ poison and must be supervised by us to be able to return to the civilized world.”

Watching the enraged Carl-Wassell, Metternich rubbed his forehead. Clearly, this military man turned Foreign Minister was not yet accustomed to the role of a diplomat, and he seemed ready to resort to force at the slightest disagreement.

Beating someone up during negotiations, it seems like something the Russians could indeed do.

To prevent the negotiations from deteriorating further, Metternich had no choice but to intervene and immediately questioned Thomas, “There are many nations on the Balkan Peninsula, and since the Byzantine Empire, there has been no unified country established. Mr. Thomas, do you intend to rebuild the Byzantine Empire?”

Rebuilding the Byzantine Empire, what an international joke. The nationalists within Greece can foolishly chant slogans all they want, but who seated here could tolerate the reconstruction of the Byzantine Empire?

Facing questioning, Thomas explained without changing his expression, “Mr. Metternich is mistaken, allowing the people of the Balkan Peninsula to become independent and form their own country is simply to help the locals return to the civilized world.

The Byzantine Empire has long perished, how could we think of rebuilding it?”

Metternich scoffed and said, “It’s best not to, otherwise the world would be plunged into chaos again. As for the issue of the Balkan Peninsula people establishing their own independent country, I see no need for discussion.

The people of Serbia, Wallachia, Moldavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and other regions have already acquired Austrian nationality, they are citizens with a homeland!”

The Russian Foreign Minister Carl-Wassell, inspired by Metternich, immediately spoke up, “We’ve already granted nationality to the people in the Bulgarian region and the Constantinople area, so there’s no need for Mr. Thomas to worry.”

Whether they have nationality or not, Carl-Wassell had used this excuse first, and worst comes to worst, they could follow up later.

In any case, no matter what schemes Thomas concocted, he would not be able to get the Austrians and Russians to come forward and establish an independent nation, meaning both sides would have to tear their faces apart.

Continue to encroach on French territory? The thought vanished in a flash, for Thomas did not wish to see the Russia-France-Austria alliance band together. Once that combination appeared, even if they were to pull in allies from all over the world, they wouldn’t be able to withstand it.

Whether to carve up a piece of the Balkans for himself? After looking over the map, Thomas decided not to border these land powers.

Suddenly changing the subject, Auvergne said, “The most important thing on the Balkan Peninsula is still the Black Sea Strait. Most international disputes revolve around this area.

For the peace and stability of the world, I propose international co-management of the Dardanelles Strait and the Bosphorus Strait, and all the coastal port cities become free ports, with no weapon deployment allowed by any country.

In any period, the governments of all countries must guarantee free navigation through the straits, without setting any restrictions, and no navigation fees shall be collected.”

After considering it for a moment, everyone agreed, although Carl-Wassell was a bit reluctant. However, considering the actual situation, even if they wanted to collect navigation fees, they wouldn’t be able to. Thus, he agreed as well.

They could tax the Bosphorus Strait, while England and France could also tax at the entrance of the Dardanelles Strait. If ships were afraid to pass by then, this golden waterway would be wasted.

Having solved the issue of the waterway, Thomas was too lazy to entangle himself any further with the issues of the Balkan Peninsula. Sharing the Balkan Peninsula among Russia, France, and Austria, isn’t that a form of balance too?

Once the Russians break out of the Black Sea, the French would be the first to bear the brunt, and Austria too would not be able to tolerate the Russians expanding further.

In the Near East War, although they didn’t gain actual benefits, they were still strategically successful, using the new international order to blockade the Russians within the Black Sea.

After resolving the issues of the Near East conflict, England, France, Russia, and Austria signed “The Four-Nation Convention,” which redefined the spheres of influence of each country through a treaty.

Following the signing of the treaty, the governments of the four countries jointly issued a statement declaring that they would collectively maintain the peace and stability of the European Continent and combat any actions that would undermine the established rules.

With the conclusion of the Vienna Peace Conference, a new international order was once again established. With the exception of the free navigation of the Black Sea Strait, each country’s sphere of influence was determined based on the territories they actually controlled.

The Ottoman Empire became the biggest loser. Lacking the strength to maintain its rule over the Balkan Peninsula, it had no choice but to sell regions such as Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Albania, and the Gallipoli Peninsula to the French for the sum of 200 million Francs.

As allies of the Ottomans, the French had to maintain a decent appearance and unwillingly paid a sum of money to buy the territories. Austria and Russia, on the other hand, were not so courteous. Being the perennial adversaries of the Ottomans, they naturally annexed the territories they had occupied.

The Montenegro Duchy probably couldn’t even figure out if they had lost or gained from this. Although they were eventually driven back to their homeland by the British, with the support of Russia and Austria, their territory expanded by twice its size, and they successfully acquired a coastline.

An expanded territory that was actually only a little over 10,000 square kilometers, still smaller than the Montenegro Duchy in later times. There was no helping it, for they had such a small homeland.

For those additional 5,000-plus square kilometers, the Montenegro Duchy lost half of its young and robust population. The total population in their homeland decreased by 23 percent, and even after the occupation of new land, the national population barely surpassed 200,000.

On the surface, the greatest winner, the Russian Empire, was quietly licking its wounds. Although they had taken Constantinople, that was merely a superficial glory.

Whether it was the Bulgarian region or the area around Constantinople, both had suffered devastation from the war, which directly led to the collapse of the local economies.

In particular, Constantinople itself had become a ruin, with over two-thirds of the buildings within the city sustaining varying degrees of damage.

Of course, this could also be seen as an opportunity for a fresh start – to demolish and rebuild, to erase traces left by the Ottoman Empire and to construct a splendor truly befitting the Russian Empire. At least, that would be the case if one did not take the financial situation into account.

If one were to tally the casualties, then the Russians would be unable to smile. In the Balkans alone, Russians suffered the loss of 600,000 men, and when including the Crimea Peninsula and Caucasus War Field, the total number of Russian Army dead and disabled approached 900,000.

Had it not been for the capture of Constantinople and the political gains that compensated for it all, Nicholas I truly would not know how to conclude the affair.

The British and French, who also participated in the battle, did not gain any advantage either. The French Army lost 210,000 men and had 45,000 wounded or disabled, while the British Army suffered 78,000 dead and 11,000 wounded or disabled.

This figure includes losses from pandemics and diseases; otherwise, the number could be reduced by a third. In any case, non-combat losses fortunately did not exceed those from combat.

As for the Ottoman Empire, their losses remained a mystery, with even the Sultan Government itself unsure of how to tally them. Either way, their million-strong army had been decimated.

With the Balkan Peninsula lost, many soldiers were merely conscripted commoners. Scattered by the conflict, one could not expect these men to return and regroup.

Having thrown in the towel, the Sultan Government likely did not care anymore. With the loss of their capital and the core areas of their rule, why increase their worries with the issue of personnel casualties?