Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1092 - 106: Conflicted Carlos

Chapter 1092: Chapter 106: Conflicted Carlos

The British Isles are far from Japan, even if an agreement were immediately reached and shipping were arranged from London, the goods would not arrive until two months later.

Moreover, armored troops are a technical branch. Familiarization with the equipment and basic training also require time. It would be considered highly efficient if they could be deployed in the battlefield within six months.

As for the current Russo-Japanese War, it could only be considered a distant solution. To quench the immediate thirst, the Japanese Army must exert its own efforts.

In this matter, no one could offer assistance. When it came to the specific tactical command capabilities, the frontline officers were obviously more capable than the government officials.

If the professionals couldn’t handle it, amateurs were even more out of the question. Japan’s resources were thin and could not withstand any squandering; it was not yet time to act recklessly.

Ito Hirobumi, “Although the Far Eastern battlefield has some troubles, it is still within our control.

...

According to the intelligence provided by the British, the Siberian Railway wouldn’t be operational until the latter half of next year.

Taking into account the time for the railway to commence operations and integration, it is estimated that it would not be fully functional until early 1906. We still have sufficient time.

The troubling part is the international situation. The conflict between Britannia and the Holy Roman Empire is becoming more intense, and many issues are being brought to the foreground, without even bothering to conceal them.

It is uncertain when they might start fighting. The Empire is too deeply entangled with Britannia, and is now also at war with the Russians. Once a hegemonic battle erupts, we really have no options.

Although the Royal Navy has an absolute advantage and the British are in an invincible position, the Holy Roman Empire, spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa, also possesses an unshakeable terrestrial supremacy.

Both powers have their own absolute advantages, and no one dares to easily conclude the outcome of this hegemonic struggle.

A clash between two tigers will definitely result in one injury, which should be beneficial for other countries around the world.

However, the Empire is unlucky, having just erupted in war with the Russians. If things go poorly, we might be dragged into the hegemonic battle.

From the current situation, it is very possible that neither Britannia nor the Holy Roman Empire could overcome the other, ultimately forcing them to choose a ceasefire.

They are too big to fail, and a war won’t affect them much, but countries like ours, dragged into it, would suffer.

Similar cases have occurred in history, just like our Warring States Period.”

The concerns of Ito Hirobumi were not unfounded. Japan, with its national strength, intervening in the hegemonic dispute between Shinra and Britain, would undoubtedly end in tragedy.

Even if the British won and we stood on the victor’s side, the fate awaiting them would not be pleasant.

There was no other reason but insufficient strength. The Russians alone had exhausted them; there was no capacity left to seize territories elsewhere.

Winning would mean no share in the spoils; losing could mean losing all their resources. Such a hegemonic battle was something no one would want to be involved in!

The Japanese Government was not lacking in such experiences. The “Japanese Warring States Period,” although mainly comprised of village-level brawls, still provided useful historical lessons.

When several Daimyos contended for power, the first to suffer were always the smaller lords. Following the lead in wars not only meant becoming cannon fodder but also meant picking up only the leftover spoils.

If the casualties were heavy, one could only resign to fate. If encountered with a benevolent leader, some care might be taken to help preserve family legacies; if faced with a ruthless one, direct usurpation by the overlord could occur.

Prime Minister Katsura Taro, “Ito-kun, there’s no need to overthink. The shifting international circumstances are beyond our control. What the Empire can do now is to win this war.

As for the hegemonic dispute between the Holy Roman Empire and Britannia, we can only wait and see how the situation develops and act opportunistically.

As long as the Empire manages well and does not get too deeply involved, even if Shinra were to win, the Vienna Government is unlikely to go out of its way to seek trouble with the Empire.

Moreover, from the current situation, the most likely outcome is that both sides will be injured, and the danger to the Empire is not great.”

Distance is the best moat. For Japan at this stage, staying away from the European Continent is the greatest advantage.

No matter how intense the struggle between England and Austria was, the main battlefield was in Europe. The Japanese Government, as long as it didn’t involve itself, had a very high chance of remaining an observer.

Even if England wasn’t happy, there were the Russians to take up the slack! Busy with the Russo-Japanese War and unable to divert attention to the south, it was the best excuse.

Restraining the Russians and alleviating Britain’s pressure in India was their greatest contribution to the alliance.

Of course, the premise of Prime Minister Katsura Taro’s conclusion was that England and Russia had not colluded.

If the Russians leaned towards the British, they would have no choice but to end the war and head south forcefully.

After all, British money was not easy to take. Since they had taken the money, they had to repay it with their lives.

…

The Japanese Government, thousands of miles away, felt the pressure, let alone the European nations facing the storm.

It was another season of aligning with others that occurred once every few decades; now everyone had to make a choice.

“Choice matters more than effort,” and this applied to nations too. Once a choice was made, it was difficult to turn back.

Whether the next few decades would be “enjoying good food and drinks” or “eating grains and vegetables” depended on the outcomes of the current bets.

Paris, since the end of the wars on the European Continent, this international metropolis had fallen to a second-tier city, its presence increasingly diminished internationally.

Gone were the days when the mere stomping of the Paris Government would shake the earth thrice.

Nowadays, all that remained was a Bourbon Dynasty struggling for survival in a tight spot, without any of the former haughtiness of the continental rulers.

It wasn’t just the government that had lost its momentum; the people too had lost their confidence and showed none of the pride of past years.

What had been a hotspot of revolutionary thoughts had now turned into stagnant water. With the war’s end, the golden age of intellectual competition had also come to an end.

Heated and passionate campus debates no longer existed, nor did the passionate and romantic Parisian streets.

At some point, Parisians became uninterested in discussing politics or international news, instead finding store discounts more engaging.

The once “capital of newspapers” had now fallen to the point where newspapers went unreported, as if the people no longer loved to read them.

This series of scenes cast a shadow deep in the heart of Laohe – George, who was on a mission.

The vibrant Paris was gone, replaced now by a group of zombies merely surviving.

George had to ask himself, could France in this state bear the burden of leading the “Anti-Holy Roman Empire” effort?

Laohe – George himself was not sure. But since he was here, whether feasible or not, he had to continue his work.

No one expected that the Vienna Government’s reaction to Britannia’s withdrawal from the free trade system would be so intense, tearing apart the last veneer between the two countries.

The smell of gunpowder in Europe suddenly intensified, yet Britannia’s strategic planning had only just begun.

As the footsteps of war approached, the flag of the Anti-Holy Roman Empire Alliance had yet to be erected.

The planned main force, Mao Xiong, was currently busy clashing with another ally, Japan. With internal issues unresolved, how could they oppose the Holy Roman Empire?

Time waits for no one, the arms race had already exploded, and both Shinra and Britannia were in the midst of a dumpling-making contest.

Even if the war erupted tomorrow, Laohe – George wouldn’t be surprised.

To increase the odds in war, the British Government was now doing its utmost to rally allies. Whether they were strong players or merely bystanders, having them on side was always beneficial.

In the view of the British Government, “Even a decrepit ship has three pounds of nails,” and all the more the once formidable French Empire. Even as it declined, it was still not something a small country could compare with.

In a sense, the judgment of the British Government was not wrong. The current France was still a “major country” with a population of over ten million. Although it had been significantly weakened, it still had its foundations.

Unfortunately, “foundations” are just that—foundations. Without transformation into strength, even profound foundations couldn’t support a major country.

The current France was a typical example of this, no matter how rich its historical accumulation, it couldn’t withstand the constant draining and turmoil of the Anti-French Alliance.

The violence first destroyed the French military industry, and then through dumping of goods, they obliterated France’s heavy industries.

If it were just industrial damage, that would have been bearable; the real issue was the performance of the Russians.

Originally, the French were quite welcoming of the Russian Army’s presence, at the Vienna Conference, the Tsarist Government proposed giving them a break, even going so far as to have a huge argument with other countries about it.

Unfortunately, the much-hoped-for “ally” turned out to be a wicked wolf in human clothing.

With the help of the Russians, France successfully plummeted from the edge of the cliff into an endless abyss.

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Be it pride, backbone, sentiment, or hatred, all trembled under the Russian Army’s slaughter.

Just looking at the submissive behavior of the Parisians, one could tell—it was all the work of the Russians. Those who had any backbone were either sent to meet God or were contributing to the construction of the Siberian Railway.

Looking around, it was a prominence of darkness over brightness. The able-bodied had nearly all been devastated by the Russians, leaving mostly the old, the weak, the women, and the children; mounting any significant resistance was nearly impossible.

Laohe-George had seen it clearly; the French could only follow along and play a minor role if they were to participate in the war against Shinra.

To play a main role, one would need troops, wouldn’t they?

Simply considering the working-age population, neighboring Belgium probably wasn’t far off from France.

Despite France still having a population of seventeen or eighteen million, the military forces they could muster were at most a few hundred thousand.

Not to speak of facing Shinra, it was estimated that the moment they made a move, the surrounding Sardinia, Belgium, Switzerland, and Spain would take care of them.

Of course, with men insufficient, they could still draft women. In theory, France could still form an army of a million.

Regrettably, the French never got this chance, as the Anti-French Alliance had early on restricted French armaments, firmly capping the number of their troops.

Even purchasing each rifle, each bullet, had to be approved by the headquarters of the Allied Forces, let alone expanding recruitment.

It was estimated that before they could complete domestic mobilization, the stationed troops would have eliminated them first. Changing governments was not something the Anti-French Alliance hadn’t done before.

Knowing it was one thing, but still, the deception had to continue. Should a war erupt, any bit of strength was precious.

France’s strength was insufficient, but that didn’t affect their use as cannon fodder. Even if they could not assist on the frontline, creating disturbances could still deplete Shinra’s resources, and that was beneficial.

England and France had been archenemies for centuries, tricking the French was something Laohe-George felt no pressure about.

With a mindset to give it a try, Laohe-George arrived at the Palace of Versailles.

Returning to familiar grounds, what he saw was a shocking transformation. Not just the palace having a new master, but even the interior decorations were greatly inferior to before.

As a French folk song went, “The disaster-ridden Palace of Versailles, the disaster-ridden City of Paris, the disaster-ridden France…”

From its construction, the fate of the Palace of Versailles had been tied to France. Throughout the last few centuries, countless major events involving French history had unfolded here.

…

Before Laohe-George could finish blowing his own trumpet, Carlos cut him off, “Sir George, talking about these matters is pointless.

France has fallen to its current state, and your country has also played a significant part in this. Without your country’s cooperation, we would not have lost the wars on the European Continent so thoroughly.

Now, to talk about the friendship between our two nations, I’m sorry, but I truly cannot feel your country’s friendship. What I see is but the betrayal of an ally.

At this point, nothing said can make a difference. France can no longer withstand any turmoil. Instead of wasting efforts on us, your country should consider how to face the challenges posed by the Holy Roman Empire!”

The friendship between England and France is itself a false proposition. Throughout the past centuries, the times these two nations have been adversaries far outnumber the times they have been allies.

Even so, in the few alliances that existed, France always suffered great losses.

Fortune turns, and now it is the turn of the British to continue the challenge. Carlos has not kicked us while we are down, which is already quite considerate.

To expect France to take up arms against the Holy Roman Empire for the interests of the British is simply an insult to Carlos’s intelligence.

Having been rejected, Laohe – George felt no surprise. He even prepared himself to be thrown out; being able to still sit here and talk was already a very good outcome.

Even though it was the former governments who did it, the fact that Britain betrayed France remains undeniable.

Being betrayed so terribly, it is normal to hold a grudge; not having one would be the real issue.

Yet, on this matter, Laohe – George couldn’t say much more.

From the French perspective, it was Britain’s betrayal that led to their own defeat; but seen from Britain’s standpoint, it was because France was too incompetent and was defeated before they could even get ready.

“Your Majesty, France was once a great nation, but now what I see is widespread desolation and the people not having a means to live. Don’t you want to change all this?

As long as the Holy Roman Empire exists for a day, the mountainous burden of the Anti-French Alliance will prevent your country from overcoming it.

This is the last chance now; if your nation does not wish to continue sinking, the best option is to join us.

As soon as the Holy Roman Empire is defeated, your country could immediately regain everything it once had and stand again at the pinnacle of the world.”

It’s certainly tempting to believe. However, no matter how magnificent the blueprint depicted by Laohe – George, it cannot make up for the weak military strength of the Anti-Holy Roman Empire Alliance.

Joining now would just be a repeat of the last European war, where France would have to fight against various European countries alone.

The only difference now is that back then, they had the capacity to do so, but to do so now would be sheer cannon fodder.

Yet by not participating, as Laohe – George stated, this is France’s last chance.

Once this opportunity is missed, it is estimated that they will not be able to rise again for the next century. Whether Britannia or the Holy Roman Empire wins, they would still be oppressed.

After hesitating for a while, Carlos slowly said, “Your Excellency, there’s no need to say more. Any benefits would only come after defeating the Holy Roman Empire.

With your country’s military strength, even if we were to join forces, we would still stand no chance on land.

Your country has the Royal Navy, and you could simply strategically retreat, unafraid of retaliation from the Holy Roman Empire. We don’t have such conditions.”

Decide to refuse?

That would be thinking too far ahead. Anyone in Carlos’s position would still think of turning the tables.

Not allying with the British was partly due to the real lack of confidence in winning and partly because they simply didn’t trust the British.

If these two issues could be resolved, then joining the Anti-Holy Roman Empire Alliance wouldn’t be too big a deal.

Clearly, this is unrealistic. Unless the British could persuade all the nations of Europe, they simply wouldn’t be able to gather enough strength against the Holy Roman Empire.