Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1036 - 50, watching the excitement without minding the chaos, adding fuel to the fire

Chapter 1036: Chapter 50, watching the excitement without minding the chaos, adding fuel to the fire

The Tsarist Government’s decision undoubtedly added a bucket of oil to already sparking France, making the situation increasingly uncontrollable.

Fortunately, after the victory in the Anti-French War, the Allied Forces had confiscated the weapons of the French, otherwise, it would not just be an attack on isolated Russian soldiers.

Seeing the conflict escalating, King Carlos, situated at the eye of the storm, decisively fled Paris, the powder keg, under the pretext of seeking international aid.

With the King forced to flee and hide from the turmoil, the already striking French Government naturally followed suit and shut down.

A similar scene had happened after World War I in the original timeline. Only, the Germans had a more solid foundation, the war had not been fought on their territory, and their losses were not as great as those of the French.

At that time, the German Government called for worker strikes to prevent the French from stealing their coal resources, while also printing money to subsidize the unemployed, ensuring their livelihood.

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That shocking hyperinflation of the Mark was sparked by the government’s desperate “print, print, print…” to subsidize the unemployed.

With a Seven-Injury Fist approach, the Weimar Republic had destroyed itself and also dragged the economy of England and France down with it.

Especially the French, who didn’t get the resources they wanted, and instead got drenched in criticism internationally.

Constantly paying for the garrison without seeing any returns, the pressure was indeed quite significant for France, which had suffered heavy losses in the Great War. In the end, they were forced to make concessions.

The French proved with actions that bottom lines are meant to be broken. In their bargaining with the Germans, the French Government made one concession after another, ultimately giving rise to The Third Reich.

Although France’s current situation is similar to Germany’s in the original timeline, they face a completely different opponent.

The Anti-French Alliance doesn’t need French resources and wouldn’t bat an eye at their strike threats, even if they lasted into the next century.

Particularly because the Alliance in France comprises a multinational force, except for the larger number of Russian troops, other nations didn’t contribute significant military contingents.

Few troops mean low military expenses. Even with the French Government’s doors shut and military payments suspended, it wouldn’t scare anyone in the short term.

Of course, none of these were the reason for King Carlos’s flight. At the root of it all, it was because the previous Revolutionary Government had played too recklessly, and the French populace had long entered an era of nominal millionaires.

Relieving the unemployed with printed money was obviously not going to work. Powerless to revive the economy and unable to help the refugees, why stay instead of fleeing?

On the surface, it was a government strike to protest against the Russian Army’s atrocities, but the deeper reason was the government’s financial collapse.

Even though King Carlos had profited handsomely from anti-corruption measures, that precious fund was meant for critical use, not to be squandered away amidst stabilizing the situation.

Originally, none of this was much of Franz’s concern; he was just an onlooker, responsible for watching the excitement.

Regrettably, his unlucky friends wouldn’t agree; they sought an explanation from the Russians, but everyone was somewhat fearful at heart.

After all, that was Russia, a force not easily provoked. Despite no longer sharing borders, there was still a prevailing sense of wariness.

However, doing nothing wasn’t an option either. With the French Government on strike, shouldering the cost of the garrison became their responsibility; they could manage in the short term, but not if it dragged on.

Initially, everyone wanted to give face to the Tsarist Government and wait for them to clean up the mess. But after seeing the measures taken by the Tsarist Government, everyone understood: they were not here to solve the problem.

Before the delegation arrived in Paris, although the situation in France was turbulent, King Carlos was still well and present in the Palace, clearly waiting for the Russians to negotiate.

However, negotiations had only just begun when the king was scared off.

Although no one knew the exact content of the negotiations, judging by the speed at which King Carlos fled, the Russians had definitely done something out of the ordinary.

The junior members hoped that the Vienna Government would intervene and offer some reassurance, that was all. After all, they needed to give the Russians a chance to prove themselves.

The problem was, Carlos had fled, and instead of seeking refuge with his Bourbon Dynasty relatives, he silently ran off to Vienna, which was quite puzzling.

And it was indeed silent; everyone thought Carlos had gone to Spain, only realizing he’d feinted when he showed up in Vienna.

Upon reflection, there wasn’t actually anything wrong with this, Spanish had their own branch of the family, but they had been enemies during the previous struggle for the throne. Though relations had thawed, they were far from close.

Most importantly, Spain was too preoccupied with its own troubles to meddle in French affairs unless it meant kicking them while they were down.

Family relationships among the royals?

To expect a king, barely weaned, to publicly support their cause for the sake of family interests?

If of no use, then why bother going there and stirring up trouble? Better to preserve the good family relations and avoid depleting favors unnecessarily.

Running to Vienna was a simpler matter because only here could his problems be solved!

There were only a few European powers capable of stopping Russian actions, and those were Shinra and Britain.

Carlos wasn’t foolish enough to humiliate himself by running to London. To prevent any excuse for refusal by the Vienna Government, he even entered incognito.

In fact, Carlos’s plan had succeeded. From the moment the French king appeared in Vienna, Franz, mere spectator, was successfully dragged into the fray.

Nobody likes to be outmaneuvered, and Franz was no exception. Apart from the initial welcoming banquet and the obligatory appearances, Franz spent the rest of the time giving Carlos the cold shoulder.

If the melon can’t be swallowed, then it was necessary to think of a solution. As to how to solve the problem, it depended on the French’s luck.

Whether to address the root cause, to muddle through, or to release a bigger issue to cover up the previous ones, they were all possible solutions.

Out of a sense of responsibility, Franz still summoned Foreign Minister Weisenberg at the Vienna Palace to discuss remedial measures.

…

“Shall we first discuss the current situation in France?”

As a qualified member of the spectating public, Franz had been following news related to the turmoil in France closely. Only now, he was reading newspapers, not intelligence reports.

After all, such international news enjoyed by the public was always artistically embellished by the editors using their imagination before being published. They were much more readable than the dull intelligence materials.

“Truth” had never been of paramount importance to the spectating public. As long as their own interests were not involved, the spectacle only needed to be entertaining, no matter who won or lost.

Watching experts and scholars speculate out of thin air, brag and wager, was a pleasure in itself, like watching monkeys at a zoo.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

…

Foreign Minister Weisenberg, “Since Carlos left Paris, the French government has become an empty shell; even the police tasked with maintaining public order have been given extended leaves, and social order has already collapsed.

Before evacuating Paris, Carlos issued a proclamation. It not only accused the Russian Army of atrocities but also shifted all blame onto the Russians.

Contradictions were laid bare, and a nationwide anti-Russian wave is currently sweeping toward the Russians.

To contain the situation from collapsing, the Russians also took measures. They first confiscated the weapons of the French Army, and then intensified the capture of anti-Russian activists.

These measures temporarily stemmed the anti-Russian wave, but with the closure of the French government, no one is now distributing relief supplies, and it is inevitable that the starving and freezing French populace will take to the path of violent resistance.

Not long ago, the navy intercepted a smuggling ship along the coast of France, where we found a 120cm howitzer.

Upon interrogating the persons involved, it was learned that they had been participating in this kind of smuggling activity for more than three months, accumulating enough smuggled equipment to arm two battalions.

This is just what we accidentally caught; there are certainly many more undetected smuggling ships. Plus, some of our allies are also engaging in arms smuggling trade in France.

By now, the weaponry imported into France is probably enough for a major campaign. Most crucially, these smuggling activities are all premeditated.

Various signs suggest that the French, unwilling to accept defeat, are currently accumulating strength to throw off their shackles.

The atrocities of the Russian Army only served to catalyze the conflict’s outbreak prematurely, incidentally providing them with moral support.

The power capable of smuggling on such a large scale and concealing the news can only belong to one entity in France.

The facts prove that our King Carlos is not as simple as he appears on the surface. Everything he is doing now is merely preparation for their next plan.

It’s just unclear whether their ambition is solely to throw off their shackles, or to fully restore the French Empire.”

To be frank, hearing this answer stirred a certain excitement deep within Franz. As expected, there indeed was a dark hand manipulating the chaos in France.

It was not in vain that he used a pseudonym to engage in verbal battles in the newspapers. The seemingly weak and powerless King Carlos was indeed the big boss behind the scenes.

The joy of being a keyboard warrior was simple. As he grew older, Franz’s tastes became increasingly mischievous.

But as much as he enjoyed his mischievous stunts, reality was not a game; there was no chance to restart after a failure. France was the best example, having fallen from the clouds into the abyss after one defeat.

“So, are you saying that the Russians are out of luck this time, having delivered themselves right to our doorstep?”

Franz asked in a joking tone.

For the Vienna Government, the knowledge that resistance forces were secretly lurking within France was never a secret. Any nation with a long historical heritage would not easily submit.

Although the Anti-French War severely wounded France, it did not break the spirit of the French people. It was inevitable that the French, unwilling to accept defeat, would rebel.

It’s just that nobody anticipated beforehand that Carlos would become the leader of these people. Of course, this was merely a slight surprise.

Under the traditional European cultural system, to accomplish a significant feat, one must find a well-known figure with charisma.

As the current King of France, Carlos was naturally everyone’s first choice.

Unlike the elected Bonaparte Dynasty, Carlos not only originated from the legitimate Bourbon Dynasty, but was also internationally recognized as the King of France.

This increased maneuverability.

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Theoretically, as long as the French played their part tragically, Carlos could seek international support by making a public plea and, with the right justification, there was hope for expelling the Allied Forces stationed on their soil.

Even if the plan were to be exposed, it would not pose a great loss to Carlos personally.

As the King of France installed by the Continental Alliance, as long as Carlos did not commit any major public misdeeds, the Vienna Government could hardly discredit itself by dethroning him.

Even if others harbored such intentions, Franz would not allow it. Deposing Kings involves the collective interests of the Monarch Group—action must not be taken rashly.

All Carlos had to avoid was openly denouncing the Anti-Holy Roman Empire; as long as he didn’t, Franz wouldn’t lay a finger on him. Playing politics in the shadows is an essential skill for any competent politician.

After all, weren’t even some members of the Anti-French Coalition secretly smuggling arms to France for their own benefit?

“Finding and exposing…” That was wishful thinking. Such activities were inherently clandestine. Despite others doing the smuggling, it was Shinra that produced these arms.

Everyone knew that the influx of weapons into France would exacerbate the chaos, but they did it nonetheless.

Aside from the substantial benefits, there was also the mentality of “if I don’t do it, someone else will”. If it was destined to happen anyway, might as well be the one profiting from it.

The inaction against such behavior wasn’t for small benefits. The root cause was that the disorder in France had been condoned by the Vienna Government from the start.

The power of hatred is immense. Unless thoroughly incapacitated, France could become troublesome again in twenty or thirty years after regaining its strength.

Obviously, slapping a great power like France could cause pain but wouldn’t be lethal.

For the long-term stability of the European Continent, not only did the Vienna Government turn a blind eye to the undercurrents in France, they even clandestinely provided a push.

It was just unfortunate that it had all been exposed too soon and had given the French an opportunity to gain international sympathy.

For Shinra’s international reputation, the next suppressive actions against France would have to be carried out by the Russians.

The poor Tsarist Government, acting as the knife, yet unaware of it. No wonder Franz felt such schadenfreude; after all, such an opportunity was rare.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg, “Yes, Your Majesty. The Tsarist Government has blundered into this, and the French plan to build up power is about to be unrestrained.

Of course, the Tsarist Government might also be prepared for this. After all, they’ve always taken the largest share in the previous smuggling activities.

It’s possible that the bullets fired at Russian soldiers in a future war could have flowed from the hands of the Russian Army stationed in France.”

The greatest arms dealers are those who sell weapons to the enemy that end up being used against themselves. The Russians are now about to demonstrate this truth to the world with their actions.

After pacing a few steps, Franz slowly said, “Then let’s add more fuel to the fire, and send a bombshell to the Russians that can be used for media counterattacks.

Get the media to release evidence of the French smuggling arms in violation of the Vienna Convention and let’s see how Carlos explains it.”

…