Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1038 - 52: Respect for the Elderly

Chapter 1038 -52: Respect for the Elderly

Reality was harsh, regardless of whether the French wanted to accept it or not; whatever was bound to happen still occurred. Once the war had begun, it was beyond the control of the French government.

In this cruel world, nations communicated through clenched fists, far more reliably than any grand principle.

If the French could defeat the Russians on the battlefield, then there was still room for negotiation; if they were defeated again, from then on, France should content itself with being a minor nation without military strength.

For the future of their nation and their people, the French now had no choice but to fight to the death. To regain respect, they had to retrieve it with their swords and guns from the battlefield.

The French government had no way out, and neither did the Tsarist Government.

The Russian Empire’s formidable reputation shook the world, earned through sheer resilience. If they recoiled at the slightest difficulty, how could they command fear among European nations?

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This French-Russian war was initiated by the Russians themselves. If they couldn’t even manage a weakened and defeated France, the Tsarist Government would lose face.

Losing face was one thing, but their deterrent power abroad absolutely could not be weakened. The history books of the Russian Empire were essentially a chronicle of war and expansion.

In the process of continuous expansion, the Russians had managed to offend all their neighbors. While the mighty Russian Empire was not to be trifled with, its decline would be another story altogether.

The first Prusso-Russian war was a prime example—just as the Russian Empire began to show signs of fatigue, neighbors from all sides swooped in.

If not for the critical intervention by the Vienna Government, the Russian Empire as it is known today would no longer exist.

The lessons of history lay there, and the Tsarist Government could not possibly ignore them. Moreover, times had changed; the Shinra Empire no longer needed to band together with Russia for warmth.

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Should a similar situation arise again, the likelihood of Vienna kicking them while they were down was far greater than the chance of lending a hand.

Both parties had reasons they needed to win, and as the French-Russian war had just erupted, it led to the bloodiest scenes.

In order to clean up the areas and prevent the ceaseless attacks by guerrilla squads, the Russian Army stationed in Paris had, despite international pressure, resorted to the simplest and most effective method.

Whenever there was a guerrilla attack, the inhabitants of villages within a five-kilometer radius who did not report it were all implicated. Even in a metropolis like Paris, the residents of the entire street involved in guerrilla attacks were held accountable.

No actual massacre was carried out, but the Russian Army’s method of punishment was scarcely different from slaughter.

Exiled to Siberia to dig potatoes—it might seem like they were given a chance, but in reality, it was almost equivalent to sending them directly to meet God, the difference simply being a matter of time.

The integrity of Tsarist bureaucrats was well known; they often skimped and mistreated their own people, let alone their enemies.

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Scarcity of supplies was inevitable; they shipped the old, weak, sick, and disabled without any medical aid, and anyone showing symptoms like fever or cough was thrown into the sea to feed the fish.

The exiled French often lost a third of their number on their way to the Russian Empire. Those who could walk to Siberia were, in fact, one in ten.

Even if they were lucky enough to arrive, survival was not guaranteed as the Tsarist Government would often forget to provide essential supplies.

Exiles, thinly clothed and empty-handed, faced the double ordeal of surviving the arctic conditions of Siberia and the pangs of hunger.

To quote Lev Tolstoy’s assessment: The Tsarist Government’s policy of exile served primarily to enrich the Russian Imperial soil with “fertilizer.”

Fortunately, it was winter—the low temperatures of the Russian Empire were sufficient. Otherwise, had the Tsarist Government been so reckless, plagues would have already taken hold.

It was only because viruses back then had not evolved, had they experienced the potency of SARS and COVID-19, assuredly the Tsarist Government would not dare to be so reckless.

Of course, given the medical capabilities of the time coupled with the vast, sparsely populated territory of the Russian Empire, it was unlikely that an outbreak of a pandemic virus would even be noticed.

A mortality rate of a few percent among those infected—what difference would that make from a common cold? The lethality achievable by an ordinary flu, drawing significant attention would be unusual.

The truly horrific were those high-lethality viruses that could wipe out an entire village or town, such as the plague.

The French-Russian hatred had deepened, which went without saying. Those who enjoyed watching the drama, also transformed into outspoken critics, each positioning themselves on a moral high ground to point fingers and make judgments.

The scholars and literati, not wanting to be left out, eagerly put pen to paper, and open letters appeared in newspapers one after another. They cared little whether the high-ranking officials of the French and Russian governments could see their writings, but it did not dampen their enthusiasm for writing.

The media did not forget to add fuel to the fire, criticizing Russians for their brutality today and the French for their lack of discipline tomorrow.

In short, both France and Russia had become the great villains, targets of everyone’s disdain. It was evident that political correctness still mattered greatly on the European Continent.

The French government’s expected one-sided public opinion did not occur; within the Anti-French Alliance nations’ media, they even found themselves at a disadvantage.

No matter how excessive the actions of the Russian Army were, they could not withstand the glorification and whitewashing by the media using euphemistic expressions. Taking the Holy Roman Empire as an example, newspapers subconsciously ignored the tragic plight of the French civilians during their exile.

News needs to be impartial, but journalists have their biases. The French are enemies, the Russians are allies; the bias is clear without stating.

The conscience of journalists made them reluctant to distort facts, yet selective reporting was still achievable.

History was strikingly similar, as similar scenarios had occurred in the original timeline, only with the times and victims changing.

With “political correctness,” any sins could be covered up. Identity determined one’s stance; the current suffering of the French civilians was still essentially paying for their previous acts of aggression.

After an avalanche, no snowflake is innocent. Similarly, no snowflake can escape the punishment that the laws of nature bring.

…

As 1895 drew to a close, the war had burned from the beginning to the end of the year, from the Philippines to the Far East, then to Cuba, Morocco, and finally back to France.

Wars erupting simultaneously across four continents were rare in human history. The extent of involvement and the population affected were by no means less significant than the previous conflicts in Europe.

Another Christmas came around, and while wars raged outside, Vienna remained as bustling as ever. After hurriedly concluding the celebration banquet, Franz alone ascended to the highest point of the Imperial Palace, gazing into the distance.

Age made people prone to sentimentality. Having lived for more than 90 years in two lifetimes, Franz had to admit that he was old.

Even with good maintenance, the years were unforgiving. Franz, in his advanced years, could no longer find the vigor of his youth.

“Perhaps it’s time to retire,” Franz thought to himself.

Age was unstoppable, and this was no mythical era. Looking at the entire world, the only extraordinary trace was himself, the scientifically inexplicable transmigrator.

Even if he wanted to emulate the ancient empires, chasing the unrealistic dream of immortality, he had no leads to pursue.

Once a person becomes “tired” and “weary,” they wish to rest, and Franz was no exception.

In recent years, he had been intensifying the training of his sons, preparing for this day.

However, Franz could not yet retire as the territories of the Holy Roman Empire were vast, and the accompanying issues were numerous.

Some issues could be left for future generations, but there were also matters that must be dealt with by him, the commanding Emperor. Otherwise, they would become intractable problems for future generations.

But before that, the last stumbling block lying before the Holy Roman Empire still had to be removed.

Until the world’s situation stabilized and the unstable elements were dealt with, Franz dared not make significant internal changes. Maintaining a sense of awe was also a crucial factor that had allowed him to reach this point.

Having made up his mind, Franz felt much lighter.