Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1041 - 55, Double Standards

Chapter 1041 -55, Double Standards

While the Russians were busily wreaking havoc on France, trouble brewed across the channel in Morocco. A Spanish immigrant town fell to the assault of a native tribe, and thousands were slaughtered to the last.

The news sent shockwaves through the entire European world. It wasn’t clear who started it, but media outlets competed to brand it with the sensational headline “The Moroccan Tragedy.”

Countries’ governments joined the fray, each making strong statements, and before long, calls for battle filled the air in the European world.

Backed into a corner, the Spanish Government had no choice but to bite the bullet and announce a retaliatory military deployment.

While Russian soldiers could slaughter in France and get away scot-free, the Moroccan native tribes’ attack on Spanish colonists incited a rallying cry for war throughout the European world.

There was no help for it; the world is just that pragmatic. With the Russians possessing formidable combat strength and a reputation for endurance and resilience, it was clear they were not to be trifled with.

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Calls for action are all well and good, but they raise the prospect of having to commit troops. Who would want to tangle with the mighty bear for the sake of French interests?

Moreover, the Russians’ brazen forays into France were hardly without backing.

While the Anti-French Alliance might not have openly declared support, member nations effectively backed the Tsarist Government with their actions.

Now in the 19th century, the European world could represent international society, and the Anti-French Alliance could in turn represent the European world.

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There was no precedent for self-sanctioning. As part of the Anti-French Alliance, the Russians could engage in whatever frolics they wished against France; at most, they faced a few verbal reprimands in the media.

Without knowing their allies’ stance and feeling invincible, not even the Tsarist Government, as aggressive as it was, and not even Nicholas II himself, would dare issue orders to take more prisoners as labor for the railways.

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In comparison to the well-backed and assertive Russians, Morocco was obviously an easier target to bully. Such an opportunity to assert one’s presence was not to be missed.

Even if the situation escalated and military intervention became a necessity, it was nothing more than an opportunity to profit.

Bullying natives? That was everyone’s forte. There was no need for timidity when victory was assured.

Of course, such an eventuality remained highly unlikely. After all, Spain still counted itself among the great powers; seeking assistance from other European nations against a few native tribes would be utterly humiliating.

Whether driven by domestic public opinion or the need to maintain their “great power” status, the Spanish Government had no choice but to proceed with retaliation.

…

Holding the telegram in his hands, Franz asked with perplexity, “The Spanish Government is planning to withdraw troops from those stationed in France? Do they no longer care about their interests there?”

Since its foundation, the Anti-French Alliance had always insisted on the principle of equivalent rights and obligations.

The Kingdom of Spain had played a minimal role in the war against France but had managed to secure a significant share of the spoils afterward, partly because its forces were garrisoned in France, tasked with suppressing any French resurgence.

The related treaty had long been signed; the meat was already in their bellies. Now, if they wished to renege on the agreement, they would have to regurgitate it.

Prime Minister Carl, “Your Majesty, ever since the French-Russian war began, the benefits from the forces stationed in France have significantly dwindled. Perhaps these will recover in the future, but it’s clear the Spanish Government is no longer willing to wait.

If they do not act immediately and use exceptional measures to deter the Moroccans, similar massacres could occur.

The French colonists have already paid with their lives before. Denied human rights as a defeated nation, under the power of hatred, a tacit agreement emerged to turn a blind eye.

For the Spanish Government, losing nominal control of Morocco isn’t significant, but witnessing their expatriates slaughtered by natives is unacceptable.”

The Spanish Government, too preoccupied with the situation in Morocco to attend to their interests in France, was willing to make any sacrifice. For the Vienna Government, this was undoubtedly bad news.

To curb France’s resurgence, Spain was an essential piece on the chessboard. Without this critical link, Shinra would have to step in themselves to prevent the rise of France.

Otherwise, with just Sardinia, Switzerland, and Belgium as the gatekeepers, it was clear they were not sufficient to hold back the French!

Fortunately, the Russians, the heavy hitters, remained in play. From the current situation, the toll taken by the Russian Army meant that France’s recovery would be delayed by at least another fifteen years.

Especially not long ago, Nicholas II had ordered the Russian Army at the front to capture more prisoners to send back for constructing railways, which was a fatal blow to France.

With the end of the European wars, France was already suffering from a severe shortage of young and able-bodied labor. With the Russian Army’s actions, the situation only worsened.

If Franz wasn’t worried about provoking a bad reaction, he would have liked to award Nicholas II with a super “Anti-French Medal” as encouragement. It would have to be made of at least ten tons of gold, otherwise, it wouldn’t befit his achievements.

After some thought, Franz waved his hand dismissively, “Forget it, if the Spaniards want to withdraw their troops, let them withdraw. Anyway, we won’t be needing them for a while.

The Russians are doing brilliantly right now, and we could consider increasing our support later on. We must try and see if we can use the Russians to destroy France.”

As a peace-loving emperor, Franz had always tried to avoid making mortal enemies with any major power. Even if he did end up making one, he would look for ways to defuse the situation.

Just look at the history books; every enemy the Holy Rome encountered in its development eventually laid down their enmity, called by God.

Whether it was through physical enlightenment or spiritual enlightenment, the intricate processes involved weren’t important anymore.

Under such guidelines, even after becoming a hegemon, the Holy Roman Empire’s hatred value remained low.

France was an exception, constrained by special geographical locations and religious beliefs, inappropriate for extreme measures.

Although unable to win over the French, the hatred accumulated was shared among a dozen or so countries.

After the European wars, the Holy Roman Empire was once France’s greatest enemy, but that didn’t last.

Compared to the Russians, who openly oppressed them, and the gleefully treacherous Italians, Holy Rome really didn’t stand out.

It was a good start, and the first step in forgetting hatred was to help create a bigger enemy. So far, the Russians had more than fulfilled their mission.

Such a sharp knife shouldn’t go unused. If successful, it would bring massive gains; if not, well, it was a war between Russians and the French—what did it have to do with Holy Rome?

Of course, deep in his heart, Franz also harbored some apprehension towards the Russians.

It couldn’t be helped; the 19th-century “Mao Xiong” truly had an unfair advantage. It wasn’t about the Russians being great fighters—in fact, their combat abilities had always been second-rate.

What really made Franz apprehensive was the Russians’ high birth rate. They were like Calabash Brothers, producing offspring in strings.

In the last ten years, the population growth rate of the Russian Empire had exceeded 5%. Even with Franz’s policies to encourage childbirth, Holy Rome was still falling behind Russia.

Simply comparing birth rates doesn’t reveal much difference, but the proportion is frightening; the birth rate of the Russian Empire was almost a quarter higher than that of Holy Rome.

Luckily, the medical conditions in the Russian Empire were poor, with low infant survival rates. Otherwise, Russia would have already become the most populous country in Europe.

Since the 70s, the population of Russia and Austria was nearly identical, and it wasn’t until the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire that it finally surpassed its rival.

At first glance, the population growth rates of the two countries seemed similar and unproblematic. However, the Russians had gone through several wars in this interval.

If it weren’t for the population lost in those wars, the Russian Empire would have become the largest population in Europe, just like in the original timeline.

Having a large population doesn’t mean everything, but having too few is absolutely detrimental. France during the European wars was a prime example; their defeat was so severe because the growth of their core ethnic population was insufficient.

Despite his apprehension, Franz didn’t really have any good strategy against the Russians. The Russian-Austrian Alliance tied Russia up, but it also ensnared Holy Rome.

Interest is the best bond. No matter what, Franz would not consider the foolish act of “killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of one’s own troops.”

Just like in the beginning, there was only one way to limit the growth of Russian power, which was to keep the Tsarist government constantly at war.

Victory after victory, while forging the supreme prestige of the Russian Empire, was also continuously devouring the foundation of this old-fashioned empire.

With all these reasons combined, not letting the Russians and French drain each other would be inexcusable!