Chapter 358: Interference with the Allied Forces (Plus )
Chapter 348 Interfering with the Allied Forces (Plus 4-1)
The fact that Massimiliano was going to be the Emperor of Mexico was an irritant to a lot of people.
Domestic republican opposition is just, because it is the French to help on the throne, the constitutionalists within the many people are also worried about the French power will continue to expand, chose to wait and see.
Before Massimiliano’s arrival in Mexico, Lincoln made his attitude clear, opposing French interference in Mexico’s internal affairs and condemning the French for violating the Monroe Doctrine.
This was a minor issue, who would take the Monroe Doctrine to heart when even the United States interfered in its internal affairs, and Lincoln’s protests were simply ignored by the French.
The Spanish had already occupied the island of Haiti, Austria had her hand in Central America, the British were interested in regaining the West, and the French naturally did not see anything wrong with plotting against Mexico.
No direct annexation, just support the rule of the puppet government, which has been very careful to eat. At least than Austria, want to turn the Central American countries into autonomous provinces, looks more tasteful.
Not only was the northern government opposed, even the southern government was opposed to Massimiliano as Emperor of Mexico. They were afraid that the Mexican Empire would grow to the detriment of their interests.
In this context, in March 1864, Massimiliano ascended to the throne of the Mexican emperor, history: Massimiliano I.
Everyone’s eyes were on the American Civil War, not interested in this newly born Mexican emperor, this enthronement ceremony can be said to be the worst in a hundred years.
The class of guests couldn’t make it to the top, let alone the top. Distance is so far, also can not expect the European nobility personally run a trip, even if it is sent on behalf of the need for travel expenses, is not it?
The scene layout shabby also no harm, anyway, is a ceremony. Ultimately, it depends on the performance, failure is called shabby, success is called love and cherish the people’s power.
The key is that the republicans made things happen, the day of the coronation organized a huge parade, demanding the emperor to get out.
On the scene of the enthronement, there were several middle-aged teenagers who wanted to disrupt the ceremony, but fortunately the guards reacted in time to stop this bad behavior.
This is a kind of Mexican powerhouse, to the emperor’s dismounted, with this unique way to tell Massimiliano I: you damn is not popular, if smart, cooperate with us.
……
It was shortly after Massimiliano’s accession to the throne that the North and South launched a major battle.
In mid-April 1864, on the Pennsylvania-Ohio border, the Northern government amassed 420,000 troops and the Southern government 340,000 troops.
Winning or losing this battle would have a direct bearing on the future of the United States.
If the northern government lost the battle, then Pennsylvania would fall, the Great Lakes industrial region would fall into the hands of the southern government, and the northern government would basically be powerless to recover.
On the contrary, if the Southern government lost the war, then the advantages that they had accumulated with great difficulty in the early stages would be wiped out.
The Northern government could take advantage of the victory, recover Ohio and Maryland, and then run over the Southern government by virtue of their superior strength.
The eyes of all countries have converged here, as a spectator of the North and South can never be divided into victory or defeat, is the most everyone wants to see.
From the outbreak of the Civil War to the present, the total industrial volume of the United States has fallen by forty-three percent, and the production of agricultural products has dropped by thirty-seven percent.
Especially Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky, which are in the battlefield, have suffered the heaviest losses.
The total population of the United States fell below 30 million, the war brought serious trauma to this country, ten years can not be restored to the pre-war level, as a belligerent area of the states in the next twenty or thirty to lick their wounds.
The worse the Americans fought, the more benefits the European states gained. Not to mention the arms dealers, all of whom made a fortune.
Other industries are also very rewarding, to Austria, for example: without the impact of the United States as a major food exporter, international food prices rose by thirteen percent, as Europe’s largest exporter of agricultural products naturally became the biggest winner.
In addition to agricultural products, Austria’s industrial and commercial products also appeared in the American market. The total export trade with the United States, compared with the pre-war rose forty-six percent.
Britain and France were not too far behind, taking advantage of this opportunity in the Americas to plunder the territory, especially the industrial weakness of the southern government, now using industrial and commercial products, most of them are from European countries.
The northern states are not much better, after the transition of the economy to war, other civilian industrial and commercial products is naturally a substantial reduction in the market is flooded with European manufacturing.
Don’t look at Franz stockpile arms in advance to seize the business opportunity, in fact, the economic profit is still the biggest British.
As the world’s industrial hegemony, in the export of industrial and commercial products, John Bull exceeded the sum of all countries in the world, naturally became the biggest beneficiary.
Ever since Britain, France, Austria and Spain decided to agree on the issue of the United States, the ministers of the four countries have been getting together from time to time to exchange views, and occasionally disputes have arisen.
The Austrian representative, Drucker, proposed: “The critical moment has arrived, gentlemen, and we must intervene in this meeting, no matter who wins or loses.
If we act late and the two sides are divided into winners and losers, the price we have to pay to intervene again will not be half a star. I propose to organize an intervention coalition immediately and intervene in the American Civil War directly by force.”
The French representative, Alfred, objected, “Your Excellency, it is a bit too early for us to take action. Whoever wins the victory in this meeting will suffer heavy losses and will not be capable of a full-scale counterattack in the short term.
This war will continue for a long time, and utilizing the civil war to deplete the American strength as much as possible is the best choice.
If we go down now, then both the Southern government and the Northern government retain a very strong military power, which is not conducive to our next activities in North America.”
This is all a front, the point is that the French are concentrating on Mexican affairs, and if they want to send troops to intervene in the American Civil War now, they can take out too few troops.
Benefits are always tied to strength, and the more forces that can be put in now, the greater the gains that can be made after the war.
We are all old powers, none of the oil lamp, light want to take advantage of do not want to contribute, this good thing or do not dream.
What Alfred wants to do now is to stall for time, wait for them to free up their hands, and then intervene in the U.S. Civil War, in order to maximize the benefits.
Anyway, in his opinion, there was no difficulty at all for the four countries of Britain, France, Austria and Spain to join forces to intervene in this civil war. Not to mention the United States, which was now greatly wounded, even if it was a full-blooded United States, it would not be able to fight against all four countries at the same time.
The British representative, Mario Oliver, spoke up, ”The American Civil War has been fought to this point, both sides are exhausted, and it is unlikely that it will last for a long period of time.
If both sides weren’t going to be unable to hold out, there wouldn’t be this showdown. From the situation on the battlefield, it is very clear to everyone that both the north and south sides of this meeting were very hastily prepared.
If they continued to wait, no one could guarantee what would happen next. What if the North and South compromised after the victory and defeat?
As a third party, if we miss the best opportunity to intervene, how can we protect our interests after the war?
I support the plan proposed by Drucker, now we must organize an intervention army immediately, before the situation expands and harms our interests.”
Two to one, the Spanish vote became the key to the decision. If they had supported the French, the question of two to two would have been open to discussion; otherwise, it would have been a minority vote, and the proposal passed.
Francisco, the Spanish minister, said, “As far as I know, there has been no break in contact between the governments of the North and South, and to avoid the worst, I support the formation of an intervention army.”
Without surprise, Spanish Minister Francisco made the choice that was in his best interest.
If this intervention program failed, England, France, and Austria could afford to lose all three of their large families, except Spain.
The Americans had been eyeing the Cuban region for a long time, and Cuba was Spain’s richest colony, bringing them a lot of wealth every year, which they were not sure they could hold in the face of a unified United States.
In the face of a united United States they were not sure to hold on to it. In front of their core interests, the Spaniards did not dare to take any risks. Therefore, on the issue of splitting the United States of America, the Spaniards were very active, even if the Spanish domestic contradictions, they also joined the interventionist alliance, the British Minister Malcolm Oliver went on to say, “I don’t want to see you in the United States.
British Minister Mal Oliver continued, “Three to one, the proposal passes. Now let’s summarize the number of troops sent by each country to ensure the smooth running of the intervention.
Great Britain can contribute the American fleet, including 5 ironclads, 16 sail battleships, the rest of the 38 warships of all types, and 80,000 troops.”
This was almost the entire mobile armed force of the British in North America, and it was clear that they were down for a complete split of the United States.
Austrian Minister Drucker thought for a moment and said, “Our American fleet can also be mobilized, but on the West Coast area, which now possesses three ironclads and more than thirty warships of all kinds, the army can be mobilized by 50,000 men.”
This is the current region of the Americas, most of Austria’s military force, if not not long before the domestic reinforcement of a time, but also can not take so many troops.
After all, the Central American region is still unstable, and the locally organized militias obviously cannot be moved. Can’t interfere after the United States, the result of their own colonies and lost.
Spanish Minister Francisco did not have the bottom of the barrel to say, “We can deploy the Cuban fleet, more than fifty warships of all types, including one ironclad ship, and the army we can mobilize 70,000 people.”
There was no way around it, Spain was really in decline. If it wasn’t for the sake of window dressing, this one ironclad wouldn’t even be there. As for the seventy thousand land forces, this included an army made up of local natives with unknown fighting strength.
Three people’s eyes turned to Yalfrid, France is the main land force to interfere in the coalition army, in the past he did not have a lot of bragging B, now it falls to them to show.
After a moment’s hesitation, Alfred made a decision: “We can deploy the American fleet, all kinds of warships more than fifty ships, including three ironclad ships, the army can deploy 60,000 people.”
No matter what, France’s face cannot be lost. The big deal is that the problem of Mexico is postponed, this action, directly related to the division of interests in the Americas after the war.
American backyard, it won’t be long before it becomes the hunting ground of the four countries, no now it’s already everyone’s hunting ground, just short of a treaty to delineate each country’s sphere of influence.
The old debt is paid off, but also owe the hairy bear 3 more
(End of chapter)