Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1098 - 112: The Battle of the Closed Nation

Chapter 1098: Chapter 112: The Battle of the Closed Nation

“There hasn’t been any progress,” was just the general opinion. In fact, over the past few years, the restoration venture of Maximilian I had indeed shown some promise.

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

The caliber of the leader determines the caliber of the followers. It could be said that Maximilian I’s restoration organization had gathered over ninety percent of Mexico’s idealists.

Although their practical abilities were lacking, they could be nurtured slowly. The most important thing was that these people were willing to risk their heads and shed their blood for Mexico.

After spending so many years in Shinra, those who were once naïve teenagers had now all turned into old men; it would be difficult for them not to be mature.

As the proverb goes, “The waves sift the sand.” After decades of exile, the careerists and speculators had mostly disappeared, leaving behind those who could truly be considered direct descendants of Maximilian I.

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To ask them to return to the country to organize a restoration and fight the warlords was unrealistic; but to work in propaganda was still feasible.

More than a decade earlier, the restoration organization had already reached into the academic community, attracting a huge wave of highly educated reserve forces.

After multiple failed restoration attempts, Maximilian I was forced to accept Franz’s suggestion to shift the focus of restoration from armed coups to education.

Under the banner “When the youth are strong, the nation is strong,” they vigorously promoted primary and secondary school education within the country, calling on the younger members of the restoration organization to return home and engage in educational work.

Thanks to the efforts of two generations, the restoration organization had reached a point where “its alumni and former officials were everywhere,” with their people spread far and wide.

Especially in recent years, many wanted restoration leaders had even been able to return to the country and give public lectures on restoration.

Unfortunately, Maximilian I’s capabilities were limited, and he had not designed a strict structure for the restoration organization, which meant his control over its members was extremely limited.

It felt somewhat reminiscent of the early days of the Republic of China, with numerous people flying their own banners, and very few who could actually command authority.

Frederick, with his focus on pragmatic realism, naturally looked down upon the motley Mexican Restoration Organization; and as for his uncle, who couldn’t even control his subordinates, there was even less to say.

As an emperor, to be reduced to merely a nominal spiritual leader by his subordinates, and even that— the kind of leader who is “summoned at a beck and call”—was unacceptable.

Simply put, Maximilian I, remaining in Vienna, was everyone’s spiritual leader, the guiding light of Mexico; but as soon as there was talk of returning to the country, everyone would turn into vanguards against imperialism.

After struggling for so many years and spending tens of millions of Divine Shields, all that was left was a reputation that was neither impressive nor useful.

With so much money, wouldn’t it have been better spent on something else?

In the eyes of the Habsburg dynasty, using that money to raise a mercenary force and fight their way back would have been a better way to spend, rather than wasting it like this.

Even Franz, who had suggested starting with the education sector, never expected it to turn out this way.

The original intent was to smuggle in some private interests, but as it turned out, the plan lost its way. Of the tens of millions in funds, perhaps less than one-tenth was truly put to good use.

In the hearts of many, Maximilian I was just a fool who could easily be cheated out of his money.

The banners flown in the name of Maximilian I were mostly for the sake of money or connections.

Not to mention, with Maximilian I’s clout, one could even get a discount on purchasing arms.

As a result, aside from the Mexican Government, which had no choice but to stay strong, the warlords naturally lost any sense of integrity.

Waving the Emperor’s banner did not only bring material gains but, even more importantly, political ones.

It could negate the Mexican Government’s moral high ground and make it clear that one could stand toe-to-toe with the government.

From this perspective, as long as Maximilian I, the spiritual leader, did not return to the country, everyone could be considered the Emperor’s “loyal subjects.”

In theory, following the Royalist revival, Maximilian I could gradually infiltrate the country, leveraging his reputation as the de facto leader, provided he was strong-willed enough.

With his own people cheering him on from within and support from the Holy Roman Empire from without, all he needed was the right moment to organize a mercenary force and reclaim his throne.

Unfortunately, such opportunities arose many times, but Maximilian I never seized them.

After fiddling around for a decade or two, the Habsburg dynasty’s supporters completely lost hope in Maximilian I.

Of course, Maximilian I was not completely useless. To say nothing else, his social skills were top-notch, as evidenced by his fundraising abilities.

Being able to raise tens of millions of Divine Shields through begging, Maximilian I was indeed the first of his kind, and it would be difficult for any successors to surpass him.

With more friends, the journey is easier; if not swayed to become the Emperor of Mexico, Maximilian I would probably still be a star in the political arena of the Holy Roman Empire.

Reflecting on Maximilian I now is primarily due to the uncle stirring up trouble again. It has nothing to do with fundraising; after so many years, the patrons have grown impatient and cannot be expected to keep giving generously.

Accompanied by numerous princes going abroad to govern territories, the reestablishment of the feudal allocation system was no secret within the Habsburg dynasty.

The older generation need not be mentioned; even if they wanted to, their bodies couldn’t handle it.

The younger generation, anyone interested in fiefs, started making movements early. It is unknown who suggested it, but recently, Maximilian I also joined the fray.

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Of course, not for his own territory. As the Emperor of Mexico, he couldn’t stoop to competing with his nephews and nieces for land.

Just because he wouldn’t lower himself does not mean his son couldn’t. As a direct descendant of the Habsburg dynasty, it wouldn’t be difficult for his son to get a piece of land from the Emperor’s territories.

Maximilian I took matters into his own hands mainly because he set his sights on the Yucatan Peninsula, which the Governor of Austria in Central America conveniently grabbed while interfering with the Mexican Revolution.

A look at the map shows that this is yet another preparation for the “rescue of Mexico.” Securing this territory would allow him to legitimately recruit soldiers and entice the Mexican Royalist faction to join.

The Yucatan Peninsula is no small place; although its resources are mediocre, its size is massive!

Especially after some annexations and expansions, Shinra’s Yucatan Peninsula includes the future Tabasco State, Chiapas State, Campeche State, Quintana Roo State, Yucatan State, and parts of Oaxaca State and Veracruz State.

The area is over three hundred thousand square kilometers, comprising nearly a quarter of Austria’s possessions in Central America. The first one to object to its division comes from the current Governor Peter.

No matter how much Maximilian I ensured it was only a “temporary loan,” Governor Peter, whose personal interests were at stake, was unyielding.

Without Peter’s support, Maximilian I’s plan naturally couldn’t proceed. Out of options, Maximilian had to find solutions domestically.

Obviously, he couldn’t go lobbying the Vienna Government; squabbling with his nephew over territories wouldn’t sound good if word got out.

Franz’s authority was too formidable; Maximilian had grown up being scolded by his older brother. He had his mother’s protection in the past, but now without this safeguard, he felt even less assured.

Compared to him, his nephew Frederick seemed much more approachable. As long as money wasn’t involved, their relationship remained quite good.

Then it was Frederick’s turn to be in a quandary. Torn between his uncle and his cousin on one side, and his own brother on the other, it was a predicament where neither choice seemed right.

If this weren’t a critical moment in the struggle for hegemony, he would like to snatch another piece of land from Mexico to serve as the fief for his cousin Bru.

Turning internal conflicts outward is the standard operation for the great powers. Having been regent for all these years, Frederick was no longer the naive youth he once was.

As for what Mexicans thought, Frederick had stopped paying attention since they had started to despair about restoration.

Unfortunately, many things aren’t just going to go away because you don’t want to face them.

As the regent Crown Prince, Frederick’s say was very significant. Securing his support meant that the matters at hand were essentially settled.

Under these circumstances, neither side would give up trying to persuade him. This was normal; after all, it was simply a family matter within the Habsburg dynasty, something to be discussed behind closed doors.

Whether it was snatching a piece of land from Mexico or supporting the southward expansion of Austrian Central America to compensate for losses from the Republic of Colombia, both were solutions for resolving issues.

Somehow, something went wrong, and the news leaked out, suddenly thrusting the Habsburg dynasty into the center of controversy.

In fact, this was not the first wave of conflicts. There had been numerous gambles within the Habsburg dynasty regarding fief issues.

Franz had long since washed his hands of these vexing matters and left them all to Frederick to handle.

Others were easier to deal with, bound by their status. To earn their own lands, they had to first accumulate achievements.

Even with some favouritism, the path they had to walk was pretty much the same as that of ordinary nobility—they had to struggle on their own.

The real disputes lay with the independent sub-states. However, not many people were eligible to compete for them; they had to be sons of the Emperor.

In the short term, those eligible to compete included Frederick’s three brothers and a cousin who had just emerged.

The Emperor of Mexico was also an emperor, and while he didn’t have much say within the Habsburg dynasty, his title still carried significant weight.

Obviously, things were not so simple. As the third generation came of age one after another, the number of people eligible to compete in the future was going to be extensive.

One has to realize that Emperor Franz now had fourteen grandsons. The Holy Roman Empire didn’t have enough territory to distribute, nor was it possible to divide into so many fragmented sovereign lands.

And that was not the end of it. If Franz lived long enough, even the fourth generation might join the competition.

In this context, as the Crown Prince, Frederick naturally had to be cautious in dealing with the very first major dispute.

“Father, Uncle Carl wants to appoint Bru as the Governor of the Yucatan Peninsula, but he is being opposed by Peter, and the situation has become very tense.

I have intervened several times to mediate, but neither side is willing to give in. Recently, the news leaked out, and the public is all abuzz.”

After much hesitation, Frederick still decided to reveal the matter and let his father handle it himself, to avoid getting caught in the middle and offending both sides.

With age, people inevitably become more sensitive and sentimental, and Franz was no exception.

One side was his brother, and the other his son; he was equally troubled. He had to consider both the overall situation and family affections, and it was obviously not easy to resolve.

As for public opinion, that wasn’t really an issue. Over the years, countless satires about the royal family had spread, and they all eventually faded with the wind.

In comparison, this “uncle-nephew struggle” or “cousins’ conflict” wasn’t much of anything.

In some sense, the royal family was no different from ordinary households; its members had conflicts too, only competing over different things.

Franz asked, “You’ve had more contact with them. How capable is Bru? Can he manage the Mexican Empire?”

Clearly, in comparison with the struggle over fiefdoms, Franz was much more concerned about the capabilities of the next generation.

For a family, no matter how great the inherited enterprise, the core will always be the cultivation of the next generation.

If each generation is stronger than the last, prosperity is assured. Conversely, if each generation falls short of the previous, even a large enterprise will just fail over a longer period.

The Habsburg dynasty had developed to such a point that it was time to place bets on various fronts. As long as the next generation had the capability, Franz was willing to give them opportunities.

After pondering for a while, Frederick spoke candidly, “Bru is quite capable; a lot of the affairs of the Mexican Restoration Organization are now being handled by him.

He has recently formed a youth group, attracting a bunch of students to join, and is currently perfecting the organizational structure.

It seems he has realized the importance of the organization and intends to build upon the foundation of the Restoration Organization to establish another group with a solid structure.

However, his methods are still immature. He should have remained behind the scenes, yet he couldn’t resist the temptation and prematurely stepped into the limelight.

The situation in Mexico is too complicated. With Bru’s capabilities, maybe after another decade or so of training, he might have a chance to manage it.”

Hearing his son’s assessment, the inclination Franz had in his heart to help out dimmed once again.

No one was more acutely aware of the mess in Mexico than Franz. Even he could not guarantee that he could stabilize the situation.

Pushing someone with insufficient abilities into such a position would be setting them up for failure.

Maximilian I was the perfect example. He was doing well domestically until he was lured to Mexico by Napoleon III.

If it hadn’t been for the timely intervention of his brother Franz, he might have lost his life over there.

The fact that decades later, there was still insistence on restoration didn’t mean that Maximilian I had a strong desire for power, it was more about a fixation.

If the father had fallen into the trap, there was no need to drag in the son as well. It just seems that when teaching from an early age, Franz might have inadvertently instilled too much restoration ideology in Bru, who also inherited Maximilian I’s fixation on restoration.

Seeking a fief for his son now may look like preparation for restoration, but perhaps it’s also a way of securing a fallback for his son.

Perhaps all of this, even Maximilian I himself wasn’t clear about, was simply an instinctual reaction.

If this had been several decades ago, it would have been completely impossible. After all, back then, Maximilian I had a chance to stay in Mexico.

If only he could set aside his pride and raise the flag of the Emperor of Mexico in the Yucatan Peninsula. With both parents still alive and help from the Carl couple, Franz would have had no choice but to clench his teeth and support.

Whether he could secure the throne was not something to be guaranteed, but a counterattack and a return to power were hopeful.

Now it was different. Familial bonds were not unlimited, and more consideration had to be given to the pros and cons.

Maximilian I himself was fine; he had his brother Franz to rely on, who wouldn’t let him fall into despair.

As for the next generation, they were just cousins. To extract resources from the family, that would be even more difficult.