Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1088 - 102: False and True

Chapter 1088: Chapter 102: False and True

Plans always change faster than we can make them. Franz had just begun his move to swindle the Russians when he was forced to declare failure—the economic crisis had arrived.

The collapse of the free trade system hit the Holy Roman Empire hard, but it was France that crumbled first.

With no other choice and already reeling from a severe beating in the European wars, followed by the Russian calamities, France, even with its sizable assets, had lost all spirit.

After the Russian army withdrew, with the help of the Vienna Government, the French economy also began to slowly recover.

Everything seemed to be improving, but the enormous debt burden hindered the healthy growth of the French economy.

The benefits of economic recovery, aside from increasing employment and meeting the basic needs of the people, all went into the pockets of the Anti-French Alliance countries as reparations.

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After the collapse of the free trade system, the economies of all European countries were affected, including France.

Without sufficient economic defenses, the fragile economy collapsed in the first wave of impact, directly triggering an economic crisis.

Under the free trade system, the economies of European countries were tightly interconnected and could not be easily severed.

France’s economic crisis inevitably had repercussions for all European countries. Before Franz could react, the economic crisis began to sweep across the European Continent.

An economic crisis is always accompanied by overproduction and unsold goods, and this time was no exception. Everyone was worried about unsold products, and the idea of inflating the price of strategic materials became a lost dream.

It’s hard to say whether Russia and Japan were lucky or unlucky.

Amidst the backdrop of the economic crisis, the financial issues both countries faced were no longer a problem.

There are advantages and disadvantages. To divert domestic crises, both Britannia and the Holy Roman Empire would support a bloody conflict between the two nations, meaning the Russo-Japanese War would be unprecedentedly brutal.

Conveniently, both Russia and Japan were prepared to fight to the death. In theory, as long as they had enough money and resources, they could keep on fighting indefinitely.

The end would depend on when they could let out the breath they held in their hearts.

Of course, it’s likely that the financial backers would pull out before they could no longer bear it.

After all, the governments of Russia and Japan had no choice, while the London Government and the Vienna Government were still lucid and had to weigh the pros and cons.

Franz tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair as he fell into deep thought.

Unlike Japan, which acted subserviently towards Britannia, the neighboring Tsarist Government was a notorious rogue, almost always reneging on debts.

Russia and Austria were allies; supporting an ally was a matter of honor. Thus, lending money was definitely necessary, but the Vienna Government also had to set a limit to cut losses, and could not invest indefinitely.

It was not easy to balance, and even Franz, who had been Emperor for many years, found it difficult to decide.

The issue wasn’t about the money; the key point was that a country does not belong to one person, and even an emperor must consider the reaction of his citizens.

As allies, the government’s support for the Tsarist Government could be understood, but the level of support everyone was willing to offer, or their expectations, varied.

Once it crossed the bottom line of the majority, it would provoke internal backlash. As a qualified monarch, these concerns had to be taken into account.

It wasn’t only the Holy Roman Empire facing this challenge; the British Government had to consider it as well, perhaps even more so.

The Russian-Austrian Alliance had lasted generations, and there were many Pro-Russian Faction members within the Holy Roman Empire; most citizens had a fairly good impression of the Russians.

Britain was different, though. The Anglo-Japanese Alliance? Ninety-nine percent of British people probably didn’t want to acknowledge that they were allies with Japan.

Not for any reason other than believing it was humiliating to be aligned with a Far Eastern native nation—not fitting the stature of the global empire of Britannia.

Especially after Japan’s recent provocative actions, which exposed its “barbaric” image, the proud British public could not accept it.

Just as the truth is in the hands of the few, so is power, so opposition is futile, and the Anglo-Japanese Alliance continues.

After pondering for quite a while, Franz said slowly, “Prepare for war.”

Sitting opposite him, Frederick’s face drastically changed. To “prepare for war” at this time was anything but ordinary—it meant that the decisive battle with the Anglo-Austrians was to be brought forward.

According to the original plan, the decisive battle with Britain would erupt in ten years. The Russo-Japanese War was just a rehearsal before the onset of the World War.

“Why bring it forward?”

Frederick blurted out.

Fortunately, it was just the two of them, father and son—otherwise, it wasn’t only Frederick who’d be asking “why.”

Compared to Britain, Shinra had a clear advantage in terms of developmental potential. It could be said that the longer the final battle was delayed, the more advantageous it was for Shinra.

If Britain had followed the Japanese model, they would have risked an early move against Shinra already.

In fact, the power struggle between Britain and Shinra had dragged on until now without erupting, thanks to the sanity of British politicians.

They knew that waiting was increasingly disadvantageous for Britain. But there was no help for it—Shinra’s momentum was already established. At most, they could confine them to the Mediterranean; the Lobster Soldiers dared not land.

For politicians, taking the risk of failing without the certainty of winning was undoubtedly not worth the gamble.

In the end, there are no evergreens in politics—as long as they could prolong Britain’s glory during their tenure, that was enough. Fame lived with them, while the trouble was left to the next incumbent.

Those with a conscience or a strong sense of patriotism sought ways to cause trouble for Shinra in other areas. They certainly wouldn’t be entering the fray themselves.

Successive British Governments operated this way, and with intentional cooperation from the Vienna Government, the current situation eventually formed.

Barring any accidents, this stand-off could continue for decades until Britain declined on its own.

From this perspective, challenging Britain’s hegemony in ten years as originally planned was already aggressive.

To now bring the decisive battle even closer was beyond saying. Such aggression did not match Franz’s usual prudent style.

He got up and walked to the window. Looking out, Franz said slowly, “The opportunity is rare!

According to the current situation, after the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian Empire was destined to suffer heavy losses. Along with what we have arranged, it would be a struggle for the Tsarist Government to even maintain its authority.

With the threat from the east gone, it would be the perfect time for us to battle the British. Even if the navy cannot secure victory, with three to five years of dragging it out, the British will be worn to death by us.

In recent years, the British Government has been actively courting allies overseas. The United States has already leaned towards them, and there are signs of other American countries being wooed, including moves from nations within Europe.

Though these countries have limited power and cannot change the overall situation, trouble is still trouble.

If the British go mad and continuously export technology to these nations, arming them up, even if we win the hegemony, it would be difficult to control the world after the war.

Especially the United States, which has a certain industrial base already. If they get support from the British, they could very well become our strong competitor in America in the future.

For the Empire, the future means not only advantages but also uncertainties. And the longer we wait, the greater the potential variables that could arise.

There is no perfect situation in the world, so instead of waiting for an uncertain future, it’s better to make a move earlier.”

Alright, Franz admitted that he had backed down. You can’t hide a smoldering fire—the dark moves of the Vienna Government against the Tsarist Government would leak out sooner or later.

No matter which government took control of Russia’s politics in the future, the Russian-Austrian Alliance would come to an end because of this.

If Russia were to fragment, that would be one thing, but if the Soviet Union were to emerge prematurely, that would be a real trouble.

Of course, with Shinra’s current strength, a nascent Soviet Union was nothing to fear. The problem was the British!

With John Bull’s capabilities, duping the Russians, who would be disbalanced after the war, to join an Anti-Holy Roman Empire Alliance was almost inevitable.

Instead of being passively defensive, it was better to take the initiative and attack. Since war was inevitable, why not deprive the British of the chance to coordinate?

The Russo-Japanese War conveniently provided a cover for the Vienna Government’s war preparations. By the time Russia and Japan had fought to a near standstill, Shinra’s war preparations would also be nearly complete, catching the British off guard.

Once Shinra became the sole hegemon, taking a harsh stance against the Tsarist Government would be of no significance. Regardless of which government was in power, they would all turn a blind eye.

Politics, after all, were always determined by strength. As long as one possessed sufficient power, no problem was insurmountable.

…

Under Franz’s command, the Vienna Government maintained its usual efficiency, and war preparations unfolded vigorously.

These preparations, however, were all labeled as “aid to Russia,” making it appear as though the Vienna Government was fully supporting the Tsarist Government.

In keeping with the principle of going all out, on March 12, 1904, the Holy Roman Bank Group signed the “War Loan Basket Agreement” with the Tsarist Government.

The treaty included a war loan of 300 million Divine Shield and the underwriting of 5 billion Divine Shield in war bonds, anticipating to raise 800 million funds for the Tsarist Government over the next three years.

Once the news spread, the European world was ablaze. This enormous loan not only broke the world record for a single loan but also declared the Vienna Government’s determination to support the Russians.

Bear in mind that just one week before the treaty was signed, the Holy Roman Embassy in Tokyo announced its evacuation. Combining these events indicated it was more than just supporting the Russians.

It wasn’t that everyone’s imagination was too active, the actions of the Vienna Government were simply too surprising. They were, in effect, informing the world that the Russo-Japanese War was an extension of Shinra’s contest with Britannia for hegemony.

A thunderclap does not fall all at once, and before everyone could debate to a conclusion, on April 14, 1904, Russia and Austria signed the “Navy Development Memorandum.”

According to the terms of the treaty, over the next two years, the Holy Roman Empire would build 8 super battleships, 24 destroyers, and 16 cruisers for the Tsarist Government…

Let alone completing the entire order, even if only half was fulfilled, the Russian Navy would become the world’s third strongest naval force.

Naive observers immersed themselves in the grand gestures of Russia and Austria, but those with a modicum of military knowledge couldn’t help but wonder: how could the Tsarist Government afford to maintain such a massive fleet of new warships?

How could they afford it? That question went unanswered. Even within the Tsarist Government, many were utterly baffled.

Those in the know wouldn’t come forward to explain; after all, the treaty had been signed. The official message released was: organize an ocean-going fleet to expedite a campaign against Japan.

…

Tokyo, as one of the affected parties, the Japanese Government, was completely bewildered at this point.

Emperor Meiji: “Can anyone tell me what exactly is happening in Europe? Why would the Austrians do such a thing?”

It was one thing to support allies, but to support them in such a manner was unheard of.

Fortunes could be spent — Shinra was indeed wealthy. But offloading the most advanced warships in a package deal was taking things too far.

Everyone believed that the Russians would embark on a campaign against Japan; after all, the Siberian Railway had not yet opened, and the best strategy for a Tsarist victory would be to attack from the sea.

Unlike in the original timeline, the Russians now had the support of allies, with no shortage of supplies and maintenance along the way, making the fleet’s long expedition much less risky.

Yet, to deal with a few old ships of the Japanese Navy, there was no need for such grand measures, was there?

Even just 2 leading super battleships, combined with the current assets of the Russian Navy, would be enough to undertake an expedition.

Ito Hirobumi: “Your Majesty, it’s simply impossible for the Russian Empire to support such an enormous fleet with its finances.

Even if it’s for war and purchasing warships, given the relationship between Russia and Austria, they could buy existing active warships from Shinra instead of wasting time ordering new ones.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

There are only two countries in the whole world that could afford to purchase so many warships at once.

If the order is genuine, then these warships are likely purchased by Shinra, and their probable target is Britannia.

Under the guise of the Russians, it was mostly just a smokescreen.

With the strength of the Shinra Navy, if they supplemented it with these ships, then the gap between them and the Royal Navy would be closed, they might even gain the upper hand.

However, something still didn’t quite add up; if Shinra wanted to catch the British off-guard, they could have built ships in secret.

Their colonies were so vast, finding several secluded ports to construct shipyards was not an impossibility.

Now, with such an outcry, the gaze of the British had been drawn. As soon as the shipyard began construction, the British would follow suit, leaving them no opportunity to take advantage of.

From this perspective, the Russian-Austrian naval agreement might very well be a bluff, deliberately exerting pressure on us to lure us into a trap.

But this also posed significant illogic—if it were true that we had fallen for it, the Empire couldn’t possibly build that many ships…”

His own speculation was overturned by himself, Ito Hirobumi was also helpless. But in his responsibility towards the Japanese Empire, he could only tell the truth.

It was better left unexplained; once it was, Emperor Meiji would be even more baffled. The only certainty was that one of Ito Hirobumi’s various theories had to be correct.

Which one was the truth, I apologize, but that was too difficult to discern. When it involved the future of the state, no one dared to make a judgment in the manner of guessing riddles.

Foreign Minister Kaoru Inoue: “We have been in contact with the British, and they are also uncertain of the true intentions of Russia and Austria; they are still investigating.

However, the loan agreement has been verified, and the Tsarist Government has indeed borrowed a substantial loan from the Holy Roman Empire, with the first installment of 30 million Divine Shields already deposited into the Tsarist Government’s account.

The war bonds issued by the Russians are now present in the financial markets of various European countries; perhaps due to the increased interest rate, the bonds are selling rather well.”

It was a distressing topic. That the Russians’ war bonds were selling well meant that the Japanese Government’s war bonds were not doing well.

After all, war bonds were a gamble. Only the winner would cash out, and anyone who bought the bonds of the losing country was simply throwing money away.

Anyway, the influence of the Russians in the European world far outweighed that of Japan. Putting personal feelings aside, speculators still believed the Russians had a greater chance of victory.

In the original timeline, the Japanese Government’s war bonds had difficulty selling, and in the end, it was Jewish capital, aiming to oppose Russia, that aggressively bought them up.

Of course, there was also the claim that the Anglo-American governments had hinted at the Jewish capital to make the purchase.

The truth was no longer important; in any case, the Japanese Government’s war bonds were truly unpopular in the capital markets at the outbreak of the war.

As for the issue of Russian credibility, that was not a concern at all. Bonds weren’t bought by consortia themselves; capital simply earned transaction fees from them, and it was ultimately the amateur investors who were left holding the bag.

Veteran investors had a lingering wariness of Russians, but the new investors didn’t know that! Without the internet, people’s thoughts were led by whatever was written in the newspapers.

Hearing that the British had already gotten involved with the investigation, Emperor Meiji let out a sigh of relief; the grand gestures of the Vienna Government were indeed jarring.

The support that Shinra provided to the Tsarist Government was something the London Government could never accomplish. Although the Japanese Government had more than one major financier behind it, the Union in this timeline was just there to make up the numbers.

The fractured United States wasn’t as simple as 3-1=2. After losing the fertile lands of the South, the Washington Government’s hold over the states became even more precarious.

This could be seen from the choice of the capital location; if the Central Government were powerful, it would not situate itself within enemy’s firing range.

This situation arose primarily because the states didn’t come to an agreement on the relocation of the capital and ended up maintaining the status quo.

Even though they were part of the same country, the interests and needs of the individual states differed. When creating laws, they all acted in their own interests, rarely considering the bigger picture.

With each state having its own team, a unified approach was impossible, and naturally, economic development suffered.

These issues in the original timeline persisted into the 21st century without being completely resolved; the current situation didn’t bear thinking about.

In those days, the Union had no means of printing US Dollars to compensate the states whose interests were harmed in the policy-making process; the Central Government found it difficult to intervene.

So, the British were the only ones who could really splash the cash. In essence, the Union was just drafted by the British to make up numbers. They might sell some war bonds at most; they couldn’t even dream of offering more substantial support.