Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1090 - 104, Belgium Speed

Chapter 1090: Chapter 104, Belgium Speed

Now, Navy Minister Swindon said, “The Russians could not possibly procure such a massive fleet; the Russian-Austrian naval agreement is merely a ruse. The real target of the Austrians is us.

The Empire had to take countermeasures, with absolute strength, to dispel the enemy’s unrealistic delusions.”

It was an open secret, evident to any discerning observer. To counter the Japanese Navy, two super battleships as the main force would suffice.

The scale of the Shinra Navy was not small by itself; if another 13 super battleships were added, then the advantage of the Royal Navy would cease to exist.

Although the strength on paper did not represent the final combat power, the Royal Navy could not afford to gamble. No one could guarantee that Shinra would not strike first if the balance were disrupted.

Despite the Vienna Government’s continuous promotion of “loving peace,” Emperor Franz had also made a promise to the outside world: he assured that he would not initiate any war.

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But when faced with interests, these guarantees could not withstand scrutiny. If there had been no breach of promise, it would only prove that the temptation was not significant enough.

If they really wanted to start a war, who feared not finding an excuse?

Chancellor of the Exchequer Asquith stated, “Taking countermeasures is necessary, but how can we be sure that the enemy is truly building ships?

In the past years, it was because the enemy deliberately released false information that our shipbuilding pace was often disrupted.

The simultaneous emergence of numerous warships seemed to reduce the cost of shipbuilding; in reality, it resulted from sacrificing the optimization of ship performance and increasing maintenance costs.

Once or twice was okay, but after numerous times, the overall performance of Imperial Navy ships was degraded by such insidious means.

If the situation of being reactively drawn into conflict cannot be changed, we will always be led by the nose by the enemy, and sooner or later, we will have to pay a price for it.”

There was no choice; facing Franz, a foe prioritizing intelligence, Shinra had always tightly monitored its shipyards.

From the collected information, making a rough judgment, it was nearly impossible to understand the core details.

Even with infiltration, it was futile; Shinra could build large warships at more than a dozen shipyards, unless one simultaneously had plants at key positions in these factories.

Though Britannia was abundant in talent, it was not extravagant enough to send dozens of senior engineers to be undercover.

Average intelligence personnel, even if they hacked their way into the management, still could not obtain specific parameters.

Most of the time, they collected intelligence by skirting the edge, then analyzed it. Unfortunately, all these could be falsified, and before the ships were launched, no one knew whether the ships built were merchant ships or warships.

Similar deceptions had occurred many times in the past. Due to inaccurate intelligence, the London Government often made misjudgments.

Of course, the inaccuracy of intelligence was mutual. The British Government could not grasp the Shinra shipbuilding situation, and the Vienna Government was equally unclear about the British warship parameters.

The main reason the British Government was put on the defensive was that they were the defenders, with many things openly displayed.

As the challenger, it didn’t matter whether the Shinra Navy had a few more or fewer warships; they were still no match for the Royal Navy.

The British could not afford it; they had to ensure that the Royal Navy always maintained a 100% advantage, as being at a disadvantage at any time could give the enemy an opportunity.

Under such circumstances, many times the British Government had to proceed despite knowing they might be duped.

Being deceived once or twice was acceptable, but if it happened continuously, it would be unreasonable.

Those in the know understood that the government was compelled. But the knowledgeable were always a minority; most were the uninformed.

It was one thing for there to be criticism among the public, but the trouble also came from the Parliament. Many MPs believed that these errors were fake intelligence fabricated by the Royal Navy to swindle shipbuilding funds.

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These pressures, not only borne by the military but also primarily targeted at the Treasury, which was frequently accused of “wasting taxpayers’ money.”

Interior Minister Azevedo explained, “There was no choice; the Austrians had their information locked down very tightly, and our people simply couldn’t get close.

“Even if we bribe the shipbuilders, we can’t beat the enemy using military shipbuilding standards to construct merchant vessels. You should know, before the hull is shaped, there is always an opportunity to change its purpose.”

“Unless we delay our decisions by a few months each time, errors in judgment are inevitable.”

It isn’t just about changing the purpose before the hull is formed; even if the main structure is completed, it can still be modified.

Battleships are expensive not only because of their high construction costs but also because of their high maintenance costs later on. In contrast, merchant ships can generate value on their own.

Within this context, the immense costs incurred by Britannia to follow up on Shinra’s strategic deceits are tenfold.

By now, the British Government is only concerned about the super battleships, completely ignoring the smaller military vessels and proceeding at their own pace.

Naturally, the British Government is furious about this unfavorable situation. If it weren’t for the main force of the Shinra Navy hiding in the Mediterranean acting like regional tyrants, they would have charged in long ago.

Unfortunately, reality is cruel. The Shinra Navy seems determined to stay within their comfort zone and not venture out.

Provocation may be tempting, but while the naval main force remains static, their army is more active than anyone else’s.

Britannia holds Shinra’s Achilles’ heel, and Shinra equally possesses Britannia’s vulnerabilities. Should conflict truly erupt, the likely result is mutual destruction.

Politicians are pragmatic; life is good, and no one wants to risk everything they have on a gamble.

Prime Minister Campbell sighed and said, “Delaying for a few months and then making decisions after things become clear is impossible.

The Holy Roman Empire isn’t an ordinary adversary. Their industrial strength is immense. If they exploit a loophole and suddenly start constructing numerous super battleships, we will deeply regret our oversight.

Let’s prepare in advance, and have our intelligence personnel verify as much as possible. If no issues are discovered, we should finalize our shipbuilding plan swiftly.

The situation isn’t as grim as it seems. Aside from the uncertainty of whether the Austrians are deceiving us, there is also good news.

The Russo-Japanese War has already erupted, and the threat from India has been temporarily eliminated. It’s an excellent opportunity to weaken the Russians, and I don’t believe the Vienna Government can resist getting involved.

Despite Emperor Franz’s solemn promise to give full support to his allies, that’s merely lip service.

When one considers the Russian engagements in foreign wars over the past few decades, have they ever lacked involvement, and when have they ever provided full support?

Shinra has minimal interests in the Far Eastern region. The enthusiasm demonstrated by the Vienna Government has already exceeded the limits of ally relations, suggesting underlying issues.

The Russians aren’t fools and will eventually come to their senses. If because of insufficient support from Shinra, they suffer heavy losses in the war, Russia and Austria might part ways.

If we can manipulate the situation then, there’s a high probability of turning them against each other. The Foreign Office needs to prepare to woo the Russians; we now need strong allies.”

Unexpectedly, a comparison reveals a startling fact. Although Britannia’s shipbuilding industry is advanced, the number of large shipbuilding facilities is still very limited, and those capable of building large military ships are even fewer.

If they were to go all out in terms of production capacity, their chances of success aren’t high. After all, the industrial strength disparity is significant, and no one knows the limits of Shinra’s capabilities.

Unwittingly, Britannia has placed itself in an extremely awkward position.

Realizing the crisis, life must go on as usual. Whether hegemony will fall will ultimately be decided on the battlefield.

“There are no flowers that bloom for a hundred days, and no person who is fortunate for a thousand days.”

As the situation intensifies, all the British Government can do is to extend Britannia’s glory as long as possible and not let it fall from their hands.

Of course, even though the situation isn’t good, the power of the Great Britain Empire remains strong, and it isn’t close to burning out.

Strategically, they are on the back foot primarily because they lack a powerful force on the European Continent to rally an Anti-Holy Roman Empire front.

The French are unreliable, making the Russians the only hope for Britain. Yet, even this “hope” isn’t very dependable; even with an alliance, the possibility of betrayal is high.

Now, choosing among the worst, we can only pick the “least short among the short.” Even though the Russians are unreliable, they’re still more useful than the fair-weather friends on the European Continent.

With England and Russia leading, the foundation for the “Anti-Shinra” alliance was almost set. Plus, with countries like the United States, Japan, Chile, and Colombia, the group was strong enough.

Even if they couldn’t completely destroy Shinra, they could still prolong Britannia’s hegemony for many years, at least during their generation.

Foreign Minister Adam Wendt said, “Don’t worry, Prime Minister. We’ve done everything necessary. The UK Foreign Office had already released goodwill through an intermediary to the Russians, sadly the Tsarist Government was unresponsive.

Now, with their illusions about Shinra, especially after receiving loans from the Vienna Government, the Russians hardly consider us at all.

Changing the political stance of the Tsarist Government is not an overnight matter, but hopefully, this war will awaken them.”

Despite his complaints, the smile on his face showed that Wendt was not upset.

England and Russia were naturally enemies, and now that Britannia was supporting their enemy, Japan, if the Tsarist Government had any sense, they would know which side to choose.

Acting against better judgment was not Wendt being foolish but rather out of necessity.

From the start, the British Government didn’t rely on the so-called “goodwill” to ease relations with Russia.

Now, by using an intermediary, the main purpose was to inform the Russians of another option besides the Holy Roman Empire, to not blindly follow Shinra.

“Turning enemies into friends” has never been simple. This is true between people as it is between nations, requiring a conjunction of timing, conditions, and harmony.

For now, the UK Foreign Office had planted a seed in the minds of Russian leadership, whether it would take root and sprout depended on the future situation.

…

While the British were on the move, the Vienna Government was also busy. Although they weren’t forming alliances everywhere, they were strengthening relationships with existing allies.

Under the excuse of sanctioning Britannia for unilaterally disrupting free trade, on April 26, 1904, the world’s third economic summit was grandly convened in Vienna.

The scene was solemn, but unfortunately, the term “world” seemed a bit of an exaggeration. Apart from European countries sending important attendees, most other countries merely went through the motions.

Nations demonstrated their opportunism to the fullest.

There was no reason to be upset; this was expected. In a world where the strong prey on the weak, small countries always face existential threats, making each alliance a choice of destiny.

To not be opportunistic was to invite demise. To survive, everyone had to align with the stronger powers.

Sending representatives was already a concession. Those who sent key figures essentially pledged their allegiance.

In some sense, this economic summit in Vienna was yet another testament to geopolitical strategy.

European countries supported Shinra partly because they believed in Shinra’s potential victory and largely because they had no other choice.

Not attending the summit could risk being branded as allies of Britain and face sanctions.

That was considered lucky compared to the fear of the Vienna Government clearing the field before the outbreak of a hegemonic war, possibly dealing with them preemptively.

As for offending the British, that was unavoidable; everyone had to try their best to mitigate the situation.

If Franz had guessed correctly, at the same time the delegation set off, a secret envoy was also sent to London.

Knowing when to feign ignorance was common sense; weighing pros and cons was human nature, and playing this way was merely for survival.

Franz never had high expectations of these allies; as long as they supported him publicly during normal times and didn’t cause trouble at critical moments, that was enough.

For hegemonic struggles, one must rely on oneself. Even if one were to win with the help of allies, the foundation wouldn’t be stable.

When friends arrived, they had to be received. Franz was fortunate, as an old monarch in European royalty, he had enough privileges.

Making an appearance at the welcoming banquet was giving enough respect; anything more was wishful thinking.

Compared to that, Frederick’s situation was tragic. As the Crown Prince of the Empire, he was the center of attention wherever he went, constantly surrounded by people.

Yet, faced with these unwelcome guests, Frederick couldn’t just dismiss them, he had to steel himself and go out to meet them.

Seeing his somewhat haggard son, Franz didn’t know what to say. It seemed that he, too, had experienced something similar in his younger days.

Well, that comparison wasn’t suitable. The situations were completely different; Franz had ascended to the throne as soon as he came of age.

The Emperor and the Crown Prince are not the same, as their statuses differ, so do their ways and methods of handling matters.

“Just cancel the later social engagements if you can. There’s no need to attend every banquet.

If you really can’t escape without losing face, let some of your cousins handle it. Don’t shoulder everything yourself.”

Frankly speaking, it was partly Franz’s fault that Frederick was so busy. If he hadn’t sent his other sons overseas, Frederick wouldn’t have been so worn out.

“Cousins,” although also members of the direct line of the Habsburg dynasty, held a slightly lesser status, and the implications they represented were different.

Without going into detail, one could tell just from their titles. The Emperor’s sons might not all be heirs, but they still held at least the title of Grand Duke, which wasn’t necessarily the case for a Grand Duke’s sons.

Especially since the reform of the Nobility system, some nephews who had not yet been ennobled might bear only the title “Baron.”

Of course, the world of the Nobility looks not only at titles but places even greater importance on the surname that stands behind them.

By letting these young ones tackle the engagements, though it might seem slightly negligent, Franz believed that those who did come would be friends who wouldn’t mind such a small flaw.

Detecting the hint of reproach, Frederick explained, “I understand, Father. I’ll be cautious. It’s mainly because some old friends I haven’t seen in many years have come, which is why the socializing has increased a bit.”

Hearing the word “friends,” Franz was taken aback. Having been in this world for so many years, he had everything but friends.

There was no helping it; the world of a Monarch is lonely. In his youth, Franz had displayed extraordinary maturity, unable to mingle with his peers.

While everyone else was still studying or frolicking, he had already become the Emperor. The discrepancy in status only widened that distance.

Not to mention the older generation – each of them was a crafty fox, always on guard against being plotted against; the word “friends” was far from applicable.

Gains always come with losses; there’s nothing perfect in this world. If not for Frederick’s mention, Franz might almost have forgotten the word “friends”.

Coming back to his senses, Franz waved his hand, “Alright, as long as you’re aware.

This economic summit is just a formality. It would be great if a few economic agreements could be reached, but don’t force it.

The main focus now should be on ‘shipbuilding.’ Although we’ve released false information, it probably won’t mislead them for long.

It’s now a race against the British to see whose battleships enter service first; whoever does will have a significant advantage in the upcoming struggle for dominance.

Keep a close watch on the shipyard; try to expedite the process as much as possible without compromising quality.”

To vie for naval supremacy, it was essential to “produce more ships.” The Holy Roman Empire’s major shipyards had already started operations.

Such a large movement couldn’t be kept secret, and Franz had never harbored such hopes.

Releasing smokescreens was mainly to confuse the British and provide fodder for debates in the British Parliament.

True or false, real or imaginary, the various reported numbers of ships under construction, whichever one the British believed, would still require a few days of discussion.

Immediate decisions were not characteristic of Britain. Even if the government could reach a consensus, the Parliament would still have its debates.

For the Holy Roman Empire, eager to gain time, every day was crucial. Every additional day they could secure meant a greater chance of success for the Navy.