Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 318
Chapter 318: Chapter 5, Pig Teammates
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The Mao Xiong, unsettled even in a state of reform, found no opportunity for expansion on the European continent and turned their attention to the Far Eastern region.
First, they kicked the Qing Dynasty when it was down during the Second Opium War, seizing a large swath of territory, and then they set their sights on Japan.
In 1861, Russian warships breached Tsushima Island (an island of Nagasaki Prefecture), attempting to forcibly take it as a springboard for invading Japan.
The fragmented Japan naturally lacked the strength to resist the Russians. The Shogunate sought help from the major powers, hoping to deter the Russians’ ambitions with the help of others.
To limit Russian expansion in the Far Eastern region, England, France, the Dutch, and other nations expressed support for the Japanese government, with the British even dispatching warships to stand against the Russians.
If history had not changed, the Russians would have backed down under British pressure.
Unfortunately, it was at this time that the Austrian Ocean-going Fleet entered East Asia, and the unwilling-to-fail Russians turned to Austria for help.
The Austrian Envoy in Japan conveyed the news to the Ocean-going Fleet, leaving Commander Arest with a headache, as the political issues were too vexing for him.
According to the Russian-Austrian Alliance treaty, in cases that didn’t involve their own interests, both countries had the obligation to provide help within their means.
This measure of “within their means” was proving difficult to gauge. In the Great Colonial Era, everything was determined by power, and the strongest presence in the Far Eastern region was undoubtedly the Austrian Ocean-going Fleet.
Before the arrival of the Ocean-going Fleet, the Far Eastern region only had sailing warships. Ironclad ships were more of a legend, unseen and unknown by many, thought to be mere rumors.
The arrival of the Austrian Ocean-going Fleet undoubtedly ushered in a new era. With this global foray, Austria firmly made an impression, letting the world know of another top power in Europe—Austria.
Because of the Second Opium War, the Manchu Qing Government’s fear of foreigners worsened. Even though this was merely a routine diplomatic visit, many still lost sleep over it.
After declaring their intentions, the Austrian Ocean-going Fleet easily acquired supplies, and the officials along the way treated them as if they were warding off the plague, fearing to provoke trouble.
The Fleet was not out to cause trouble this time, typically just swinging by the port for a quick resupply before heading to the next destination.
The Fleet was now anchored off Dagu, while Envoy Hummel was attending to regular diplomatic visits in the Capital City. With the inconvenience of communication, the troublesome matters fell onto the shoulders of Commander Arest.
The Fleet’s Chief of Staff Chandler suggested, “Your Excellency, the Commander, since this involves diplomatic issues, why not let the Ambassador to Japan decide on his own?
We’re going to visit Japan anyway. We can discuss any issues then. Even if Britain and Russia really do clash, we could still intervene.
The St. Petersburg Government is currently busy with reforms, and the Tsarist Government will not engage in full-scale war with the British. Even if a minor conflict arises, it will be within the realm of control,” he added.
Chief of Staff Chandler’s political acumen was evidently sharper. An Anglo-Russian conflict did not equate to an Anglo-Austrian conflict. Since Austria had no expansionist intentions in the Far Eastern region at that time and there were no conflicting interests, a conflict naturally wouldn’t arise.
A mere verbal diplomatic support for the Russians meant little. In the absence of the Envoy, transferring authority to the Ambassador in Japan was in accordance with the rules.
Commander Arest rubbed his forehead and said, “Alright, let’s leave the matters of diplomacy to the diplomats!”
Arest wouldn’t be the Commander of the Austrian Ocean-going Fleet if he were a fool. His political vision wasn’t sharp, but that’s because he stayed out of politics.
He cared a bit about European affairs, but East Asia was beyond his concern. Had he not personally traversed there, he would’ve considered the nations of East Asia no different from the Aboriginal African Kingdoms in his subconscious.
His indifference to politics was also a key factor in his smooth sailing career. On the contrary, those officers with great political talents often didn’t fare well.
Soldiers are not to engage in politics, such is the rule in Austria. To enter politics, one must first retire from the military.
Like most Emperors, Franz also hoped his soldiers would be simpler in mind, for overthinking could lead to problems.
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After years of bitter fighting and at a heavy cost, by mid-October 1860, the British Army captured Delhi, taking the Mughal Emperor prisoner.
The titular leader of the Indian Rebels no longer existed, severing the bond uniting them and leaving them to fight separately.
Consequently, the British Army captured Lucknow, Kanpur, Gwalior, and other regions one after another, inflicting heavy losses on the Rebel Army, which then resorted to guerrilla tactics.
The politically astute British seized the opportunity to issue a “Proclamation to the Princes, Chiefs, and People of India,” winning over the local Princes, landlords, and religious groups.
Seeing the winds of change, these Princes, landlords, and religious groups defected one after another, leaving the Rebel Army isolated and without support.
By March 1861, this grand Indian Rebellion was quelled. The Great Britain Empire finally had the resources to continue their global strategy.
The British were free to act, which was undoubtedly good news for Franz, who wished to intervene in the American Civil War.
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In the United States, after the diplomatic efforts of the four countries including the UK, France, Austria, and Spain, fourteen Federal States had joined the Southern Alliance, narrowing the gap in strength between the North and South.
The Northern states were unprepared for war, and many Federal States were, in fact, ready to make concessions, especially since all four countries supported the independence of the Southern Government.
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For many, using military force for reunification could easily provoke a joint intervention by various countries, potentially leading to the embarrassing scenario of seeing the White House in flames once again.
During this period, the majority of officers in the United States Army were from Southern plantation-owning backgrounds. Capitalists were not accustomed to bearing arms and fighting wars, leaving the domination of the army in the hands of Southern plantation owners.
After the Southern Government declared independence, the United States Army fell apart, severely lacking officers.
If no accidents occurred, even if President Lincoln wished to use military force to resolve the issue with the Southern Alliance, he would not have enough officers to do so in the short term.
As long as the delay continued, the fact of a North-South division would be established. Regardless of whether the Northern government recognized it, in the end, they would be powerless to change it.
At this point, the Southern Government made a foolish move that ignited the war.
On April 12th, 1861, the self-aggrandizing Southern Government sent troops to attack Fort Sumter, intending to use military force to coerce the Northern government into recognizing the independence of the Southern Alliance.
The Southern Government made the first move, an action that undoubtedly struck a nerve with the people in the Northern states. Capitalists immediately manipulated public opinion, packaging the Northern government as the victim.
President Lincoln’s eagerly awaited opportunity had arrived; he issued a draft order as soon as the war broke out.
States that were originally resistant to resolving Southern issues by force now stood behind the Northern government, supporting the Federal government in quelling the rebellion.
Several Northern states, previously persuaded by the combined efforts of various countries to remain neutral in the civil war, now had their positions swayed again by public opinion.
After receiving the news, the envoys from the Four countries including the UK, France, Austria and Spain all cursed their foolish ally.
According to the pre-arranged plan, the Southern Government declared independence and exploited the American public’s opposition to civil war to create a fait accompli under the intervention of various countries.
Now, much of these diplomatic efforts had gone down the drain. Apart from convincing three additional Slave States to join the Southern Alliance, efforts to maintain the neutrality of the hesitant Northern states were sucked back into the conflict.
Austrian Envoy to the United States, Diluc, said with an ugly look on his face, “At this point, talking about this is of no help; we should consider what to do next!”
French Envoy to the United States, Alfred, sneered, “What else is there to do? Since these unreliable Americans want to fight, let them have at it.
Once they’re completely exhausted from fighting, we’ll come in and clean up the mess. As long as we stay united, even if a victor has emerged, we can still reverse the situation.”
Clearly, Alfred was very dissatisfied with the Southern Government. Starting such a major war without consulting the countries was not taken well.
After all, the current situation of the Southern Government was propped up with the combined efforts of these four nations. Now, just as they were gaining an advantage, the Southern Government had become arrogant.
Whether the Americans fought or not was actually of little concern to everyone. However, when it comes to their own political performance, it was a different story. Now that war had erupted and the situation had spiraled out of control, any future interventions would have to rely on military strength.
Using military force to split the United States is entirely different from doing so through political means. Had they managed to split the United States with political maneuvers, the four sitting here would have created a diplomatic miracle. With such an achievement, it wouldn’t be surprising if they ended up as Foreign Ministers.
In countries with political stability, there’s a fixed place for each individual, making it difficult to become a Foreign Minister. France, however, was different; with a few years on the waiting list, it would be their turn.
This was still during the Napoleon III Era, when politics were relatively stable. During the Republic era, it would not be surprising to see seven or eight changes within a year.
British Ambassador to the United States, Mark Oliver, shook his head and said, “Reversing the situation is not that easy. It would be best if the North and South inflicted heavy losses on each other and then asked us to mediate.
However, this balance is difficult to maintain. If one side wins the war decisively, our intervention will come at a much greater cost.”
Spanish Envoy to the United States, Francisco, complained, “It’s all that idiot Jefferson Davis’s fault – his head is filled with nothing but thoughts of war and murder; he doesn’t understand politics at all!”
“If he weren’t foolish, why would we support him? Backing an idiot to lead the Southern Alliance is much better than supporting a despot,” consoled Austrian Ambassador to the United States, Diluc.
Without a doubt, plantation owner Jefferson Davis’s ascension to the presidency of the Southern Alliance was supported by these four nations.
Jefferson Davis, who emerged from a multitude of competitors, was clearly not a simple figure. He had participated in the Mexican-American War and had served as Secretary of War (the predecessor to the Ministry of Defence).
In times of war, it was natural to elect a leader experienced in military affairs. As for other skills, being slightly deficient didn’t matter. Moreover, having served as Secretary of War was enough to prove his political acumen.
French Ambassador Alfred suggested, “In that case, let’s first support these fools of the South. After all, their strength is limited, even if they were to capture Washington tomorrow, they couldn’t unite the United States.
When the time comes, we’ll support the Northern government to fight back. Go back and forth a few times, and try to drain their national power as much as possible to prevent them from becoming a disaster.”
British Ambassador Mark Oliver thought for a moment and said, “Since the Southern Government dared to deceive us, they must be taught a lesson. Now let us jointly declare neutrality and call for the two countries to resolve their disputes peacefully.”
There are many ways to offer support, with direct involvement being the most substantial. Clearly, the foolish act of the Southern Government had greatly displeased everyone, and taking their side directly was no longer possible.
Declaring neutrality was doubtlessly a warning to the Southern Government not to play with fire.
Calling for the two countries to resolve their disputes peacefully could also be interpreted as creating an excuse for armed intervention.
When it came time to intervene, the subtext would be: whoever refuses to peacefully resolve the North-South issue would face the force of these four countries compelling them to agree.
