Chapter 957: Money Power
Chapter 938 – Banknote Ability
Receiving the news of the Japanese sneak attack on the Philippines, Franz almost couldn’t hold back his laughter. This was just dozing off, and someone was handing him a pillow.
There was no doubt that the Japanese had done Austria a great favor this time. Having pulled the Spaniards off the battlefield for no reason, it was now time for the French to have a hard time.
No matter how declining the board duck empire is, it is still a member of the great powers, absolutely not the kind of light to be beaten and not to fight back.
Even if the French say that Japan’s sneak attack on the Philippines and they have nothing to do with it, but also to the Spanish believe it. To know that the Japanese army can pass from the Philippine Sea, are Britain and France to the Spanish government to give a guarantee.
If there is no face of Britain and France, the Japanese do not say stopping for supplies, even from the Philippine Sea, the Spanish will not agree.
These days, there is no such thing as the high seas. The great powers are all more domineering than each other, and the so-called territorial waters are all determined by themselves, and indigenous countries like Japan have no say in the matter.
The so-called territorial waters were all determined by themselves, and indigenous countries like Japan had no say in the matter.
If the Japanese were to invade the Philippines, it would not be easy for them to do so. The landing alone could not be accomplished in a day or two, and there was a lack of supply points, so all supplies had to be transported from the mainland.
With Japan’s current national strength, running to play laborers, once can not be a quick battle, it will not take a few months to drag themselves to death.
In order to maintain his image of majesty in the minds of his men, Franz quickly calmed down and casually found an excuse to hide his emotions.
“The Japanese, who entered the South Seas at the invitation of Britain and France, have now stolen the Philippines, and the Spaniards should be very angry now.
Let’s find a way to push from behind the scenes, as much as possible to draw the Spanish anger towards the French, try to see if there can be unexpected gains.”
A windfall was basically out of the question. If the Spaniards were angry again, at most they would take it out on the Japanese, as for Britain and France they simply couldn’t move.
Sensei Austria how to promise is useless, politicians are human savvy, icing on the cake of things everyone loves, snow in the things no one do.
Although joining the anti-French alliance now is not considered to be sending charcoal in the snow, it is also accompanied by a very big risk.
France is not a weakling, do not look at their strategic losses, but they are still not defeated on the European battlefield.
In the central European battlefield before the winner, no one can be sure that the French really can not turn the tide. In case the French suddenly broke out a wave, Austria’s strength can withstand, does not mean that Spain can also withstand.
This is a lesson from the past, Spain participated in the last war against France won the victory, but as the victorious country of Spain was tossed off half life, lost a large part of the American colonies.
Despite paying such a large price, but in the final division of the spoils of war, the strength of Spain can only play soy sauce.
Unless it is certain that the French will not be able to do so, it is difficult for the Spanish government to have the courage to declare war on France.
Foreign Minister Weissenberg analyzed, “Your Majesty, the French will not admit that Japan’s sneak attack on the Philippines has anything to do with them. If nothing else, they will quickly cut ties with the Japanese.
Coupled with the fact that together with the endorsement there are also the British, the Spanish government can only hold their anger in their hearts even if they are relieved.
But there was a benefit to channeling it so much, having suffered such a big loss, the Spanish would surely retaliate.
As long as to provoke their domestic wave of anti-France, I think come to a material embargo against France, the Spanish government still have the courage to do it.”
It’s not a question of admitting it or not, anyone in their right mind knows that the French couldn’t have instructed the Japanese to sneak into the Philippines at this point in time. In the unlikely event that the Spaniards were forced to the side of the Anti-French Alliance, France would have to go belly up.
Whether it was to appease the Spaniards or to give an account to the European world, the French had to cut ties with the Japanese.
Allies?
That’s clearly piggybacking. France pulled in allies to get out of its own political isolation, not to feud with European nations.
The previous expulsion of the people has already made many European countries feel uneasy, another wave of seizure of Spanish colonies, they do not need to mix in the European continent.
If you can do it to rob, as early as in ten years Franz did it, it is not the turn of the French. It is not afraid of committing public anger, only to give up this tempting plan, bury their heads in the sand to open up their own colonies.
Prime Minister Carr added: “It is not entirely impossible. As long as the Spaniards are convinced that we will surely win this war, and then lured, they may still take the bait.
However, there is little substance to it. The Spaniards are certain that we can win the war, and that can only be if we win the Battle of Central or Southern Europe.
Winning it all and then dragging them into declaring war on France would be squirm-inducing in any case. The deliberate element is so heavy that it is easy to draw suspicion.
If people see through our real purpose, then I am afraid that it will cause another storm.
The British would not want us to be the only dominant power in Europe, the Russians would not want us to be the only dominant power in Europe, and the other European countries would not want to see another master over their heads.
Standing against all the countries at once, and then trying to weaken France, it would be completely hopeless.”
This is also the reason why Franz was hesitant to order a full-scale attack, defeating the French was only the end of the Nitro War, and there was an even more grueling diplomatic war to follow.
The early end of the Anglo-Russian War disrupted the Vienna government’s previous strategic layout, and the plan to completely dismember France was declared bankrupt.
How to divide the European countries, so that Austria in the post-war negotiations to occupy a dominant position, became the most important problem at the moment.
After much hesitation, Franz made a decision: “Mobilize our forces, lobby the bureaucrats of the Tsarist government, and find ways to pull the Russians down.
It is not necessary for them to send troops directly, as long as the tsarist government is willing to declare war on France, they will have a share of the proceeds after the war.
The pace has to be fast. We have to create an established fact before the British strike. If we’re late, we’ll have nullified most of our strategic purpose.”
It wasn’t that Franz was overthinking it; with the current international situation, there was a good chance that the British would pound out a joint mediation mission to intervene in this war before the end of the Continental War.
There was no need to doubt that all European countries had a motive to interfere in this war. For the sake of their own interests, no one wants to see the emergence of a continental hegemon.
Once the two great powers of Britain and Russia step forward to take the lead, this alliance will be able to be established in minutes. Anyway, the law is not responsible for the masses, Austria wants to settle scores, but also have to consider the anger of the masses.
Hard top is impossible, don’t look at Austria as the leader of the anti-French alliance strong, really if encountered international intervention, this alliance will immediately be divided into pieces.
Franz was not crazy enough to expect that the Austrians and the Austrians would go hand in hand. Without the Antifa alliance, the chances of winning against the European world on one’s own would be at most 50-50, and that would be no different from sending them to their deaths.
Especially this 50/50 chance is still based on the premise of crippling France first. In case the French still had a breath of fresh air and the Intervention League showed up, the situation would be even worse.
If you can’t do it militarily, then you have to do it politically. Bribe or lure, as long as the Russians are brought on board, the situation will be very different.
Although the British politicians are all very thick-skinned, but no matter how shameless, can not let the belligerent countries become mediators.
Even if the Russians reacted later, it could only drag their feet in the shadows, and no matter how much the Tsar’s government folded, it could not send troops to defend France.
After pulling on Russia, it is much easier to fool Spain. A look at the lineup will tell you that the French are bound to lose the continental war.
There is absolutely no reason to turn down a zero-risk, high-yield project. Anyway, France and Spain have a whole lot of bad things going on, and there is no heart pressure to fall on them.
Franz had already figured out that after fooling Russia and West, he would just force Switzerland into the war.
Either one or the other, either embrace victory with the anti-French alliance or be buried with the French.
And then, there was no more. Most of Europe was at war with the French, and no amount of tossing and turning by the British could make everyone give up the benefits that were at hand.
The big deal was that Austria got a smaller share of the spoils and gave up the profits to the allies. Franz didn’t care about the reparations since French Africa was almost eaten up anyway.
Foreign Minister Weissenberg frowned and replied: “Your Majesty, it is not easy to encourage the Russians to declare war with the French.
The situation is becoming clearer now, and the Tsar’s government does not want to weaken France too much. The more we pull the strings, the less likely the Russians will enter the war.
Against this background, we can only push in the dark. It is not advisable to use too much power, including that of the pro-Austrian faction.
Only if we make the Czarist government itself realize that there is a great advantage in declaring war on France, can they take the bait. It is very difficult to do this.”
This was true on the surface, but Franz remained unmoved. Despite his butterfly effect, which affected Russian politics, the nature of the Tsarist government remained unchanged.
“Greed” was the biggest characteristic of the tsarist government. This was amplified by their corrupt bureaucracy.
“Spend the money! Bribe the Russian bureaucrats and aristocrats at all costs and sell them the benefits of declaring war on France.
Isn’t the Czarist government poor, as long as they declare war on France, they won’t have to pay the debts they owed to the French before, and they’ll have big war reparations after the war.
No need to send troops, no need to spend money, just a nominal declaration of war, will be able to get so many benefits, do not believe that the Russians will not be moved.”
In the Russian Empire, there is nothing that can’t be solved by smashing money; if there is, it must be that the money smashed is not enough.
Clean bureaucrats might exist, but in the Russian Empire, such people couldn’t even get along. The world is all muddy, and innocence is the original sin.
No matter how shrewd Alexander III might be, it would be hard for him not to be affected if all the ministers under him said in the same breath that declaring war with the French would be good for Russia.
……
(End of chapter)