Chapter 763: Dark Currents Surge
Chapter 746 – Undercurrents
War is not something you can fight if you want to, “Before the troops move, food and grass go first; before the war starts, diplomacy goes first.”
The political pattern of the European continent’s multinationalism determines the importance of diplomacy.
The Vienna government has not yet at the same time and all European countries against the bottom, the role of diplomacy came to the fore.
Do not seek all countries to support Austria to start this war, at least to ensure that most countries do not oppose.
Smaller countries were just as well, mostly wallflowers. For them, Austria was already strong, and it didn’t matter if it was a little stronger.
As long as their own interests are not jeopardized, even if they are not happy in their hearts, the most they can do is to verbally condemn a few words.
The countries that really have the right to speak are still Britain, France and Russia, the three big rogues, Spain at the bottom of the list, the Nordic Federation, which is beyond the reach of the whip, and the German Federal Reich next door, which can barely be counted as one-third of the votes.
How to deal with these countries has become the most important task of the Austrian Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Minister Weissenberg analyzed: “The turbulent situation on the European continent is very favorable to our next action.
The French government is plagued by revolutions and is now preoccupied with its own affairs.
By not supporting the Italian independence movement and the French Revolutionary Party in exchange for the Paris government’s acquiescence we have a very good chance of success in this operation.
Spain has always followed in the footsteps of the French internationally, and as long as the French government doesn’t object, they most likely won’t venture out either.
The German Confederation will not oppose it, even if it does not support us. We can preach nationalism and emphasize the hatred between the German nation and the Ottoman Empire, and it will not be difficult to gain their support.
The Nordic Confederation is far away and this war will not involve their interests. Besides, we have guaranteed a loan from the Nordic Confederation for the Russians.
If they still need us to provide security for this loan, they will not stand against us.
The most troublesome thing is the British and Russians. Trying to gain the support of the British government is basically impossible, and we don’t have that many benefits to offer in exchange.
The Foreign Office’s next focus will be on the Russians. If we can make certain concessions or cede part of the Ottoman Empire to the Russians, the Tsarist government should not refuse.”
The core of diplomacy lies in interests, and now it’s time to exchange interests again. As long as the offer was high enough, there was nothing that couldn’t be bought off.
Looking at the map of the Near East on the wall, Franz made a decision after a moment’s effort of contemplation, “If the Russians are willing to come together, then the eastern part of the country will be bounded by the Arakus River, and the Asia Minor Peninsula will be bounded by the Anatolian Plateau.
If the Tsarist government is not willing to send troops and only supports us diplomatically, then they will only get the territory north of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, and the Asia Minor Peninsula will be out of their hands.”
There is no doubt that, whichever way it was distributed, Austria took the largest share of the benefits, and it was no longer “the two countries sharing the Ottomans equally.”
The reality was so cruel that the benefit was always equal to the power. Franz’s offer was also based on the Russians’ own strength.
Especially the first option, the two countries together to divide the Ottoman Empire, seems to be a fair and reasonable offer, but in fact, it is also harboring evil intentions.
Look at the border line drawn by Franz to know, Russia and Austria have been good neighbors, just, if one day the two countries flipped face, then everywhere is a loophole.
Russian Balkans, Asia Minor, are directly exposed to the Austrian troops, will fall in a moment.
This is a combination of geographic location and strength, seemingly connected to the Russian Empire, but that is only geographically connected.
However, that was only in a geographical sense. With the mountains in between, railroads could not be counted on, and transportation depended entirely on the Black Sea.
As soon as Constantinople was lost, the Austrian navy entered the Black Sea, the lifeline will be cut off.
Even if the Russians held Constantinople, it was useless, the Black Sea fleet was gone.
A casual advance by Austrian land into any Black Sea coastal port and the release of a dozen submarines into the Black Sea would have served the same purpose.
In modern warfare, the fight is all about logistics, and once an army loses its logistical supplies, it is nothing.
In a sense, it’s a huge trap, and the more power the Tsarist government puts into these regions, the more losses it pays.
……
In Paris, the situation has become out of control since the news broke that the European countries were to hold an international conference here to work together to curb the spread of revolutionary ideas.
Hundreds of thousands of Parisians have taken to the streets to protest against the government’s collusion with international reactionary power and its plot to persecute the revolution.
The protests of the people were clearly visible into the Palace of Versailles, and Napoleon IV’s entire person became haggard, as if he had aged twenty years at once.
There is no way, every day there is a group of people outside to make trouble, such mental destruction, really not ordinary people can withstand.
Mobilizing troops to disperse the marching people? It didn’t do any good, having just dispersed them, they gathered again a while later.
The most crucial thing is that people are protesting legally, and the government has no right to suppress them before they go too far.
It was not that Napoleon IV obeyed the rules, but mainly because he had no confidence in his heart and did not dare to order a crackdown for fear of intensifying the conflict.
At present, the French government to suppress, are already launched a rebellion of extremists, protest march of the people are not among them, also can not be suppressed over.
According to incomplete statistics, in recent times, at least one-third of the people in France, involved in demonstrations.
Throwing the documents in his hand anywhere, Napoleon IV angrily growled, “Who can tell me when these days will end?”
The Emperor’s temper is getting worse and worse, this is the clearest feeling of everyone. No matter how bad tempered he was, work still had to go on as normal.
Foreign Minister Terrence Burgin reported, “Your Majesty, just received news from Vienna that the Austrians are planning an invasion of the Ottoman Empire.”
Napoleon IV shook his head, “My foreign minister, such a trivial matter of chicken skin, you guys just look after it, you don’t need to bring it to annoy me!”
The “Austrian invasion of the Ottomans” has also become a trivial matter, if we follow this standard, it is estimated that there will not be any major events in the international arena.
Terrence Burgin reminded, “Your Majesty, this is not an ordinary war, the Austrians want to swallow the Ottoman Empire in one gulp.
Once they let their plan complete, besides the lack of Constantinople, it’s another Eastern Roman Empire. The impact on us is very great.”
The impact is indeed very large, really if Austria annexed the Ottoman Empire, the impact is more terrible than the revival of the “Eastern Roman Empire”.
At least the historical Eastern Roman Empire did not extend into Central Europe and did not have a colonial empire throughout the world.
Napoleon IV shook his head with a bitter smile: “Even so, so what. In our current state, do you think there is still the ability to interfere?
Otherwise, you go out and tell the populace: in order to preserve the Ottoman Empire, you have to send troops to fight Austria, and see what they will do.
As for the possibility of Austria getting bigger, let’s leave that to the damn Brits to get their headaches!”
Terence Burgin wanted to say something; he hadn’t lived long enough to go out looking for excitement.
In Paris, where anti-war thinking and revolutionary thinking are strong, the government dares to send troops to help the Ottomans fight, is that not forcing everyone to revolutionize?
Since there was nothing that could be done about it, it was better to let it go. After a series of social beatings, Napoleon IV had matured and knew pragmatism.
……
Time passed day by day, and the situation in Paris became more and more tense as the time for the international conference in Paris drew nearer and nearer.
In the evening, dozens of people had gathered in an ordinary farmhouse on the outskirts of the city.
A bearded middle-aged man was the first to speak: ”Judging from the current situation, I’m afraid the Bonaparte government will not compromise.
If we let the Paris International Conference go ahead and let these monarchs in Europe collude, the success rate of our revolution will be even lower.”
A bookish young man slammed the table, “We can’t wait any longer, now that the idea of revolution has taken root in people’s hearts, and the people have been bitter against the Bonaparte dynasty for a long time, the time is ripe for a revolution.”
Seemingly sensing that the atmosphere was not right, the organizer of the meeting hastily pacified, “Little Love, have a good talk, don’t be so agitated.
We are not sufficiently prepared, and apart from having some influence in the National Guard, it is too late for any other troops to penetrate.
It is almost impossible to accomplish the revolution without the support of the army.”
It was a bit harsh, but it was the truth. Power comes out of the barrel of a gun, and without the support of the army, trying to seize power in an armed revolution is itself a pipe dream.
Little Norf retorted, “Mr. Feijunen, that’s not the way it is.
Revolutionary waves are not easy to come by, and the last revolutionary wave that swept across the continent was in 1848.
If we miss this opportunity, no one knows when the next revolutionary wave will appear.
Without the support of the general environment, on our own, even if we are well-prepared, we will not be able to fight against the backlash from the monarchical clique.
At this point in time, we’ve reached the point where we have to fight, and when the international conference in Paris is over and the monarchical bloc is united, it’ll be too late to take action.”
……
(End of chapter)