Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1110 - 124: The Helplessness of a Small Country

Chapter 1110 -124: The Helplessness of a Small Country

South African gunfire erupted again, and the already tense international situation became even more uncontrollable. The critical moment to choose sides had come, and there was no longer any room for hesitation.

The scent of gunpowder filled the entire world; at this moment, Europe seemed like it was sitting atop a powder keg with a lit fuse, waiting for fate’s ultimate verdict.

Amsterdam, amidst the mounting international tensions, this bustling international metropolis still had its usual flow of traffic, but the former cheer and laughter were gone.

Amidst the tension, the capital market was the most sensitive. Before the Dutch Government had made a final decision, the stock market had already crashed.

Capitalists were waving their money around, buying up anything they could, quality notwithstanding—as long as it was an asset, there was a price for it.

Especially popular were everyday commodities. Before the general public had time to react, prices had soared; the key issue being the shortages.

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There was no helping it. If Shinra and Britain, the two dominant powers, were to go to war, the North Sea would inevitably be blockaded, and overseas trade would certainly grind to a halt.

Domestic products couldn’t get out, and foreign industrial raw materials couldn’t come in; the impact on the fragile Dutch economy was too severe.

Despite having the European Continent, as a maritime trading giant, the Dutch economy largely depended on long-distance trade.

With sea trade routes blockaded, the connection between the homeland and the colonies was severed. Without colonies to plunder, and purely relying on manufacturing strength, the Netherlands didn’t have much competitive power.

Realizing the crisis, capitalists were taking actual steps to try to recoup their losses as much as possible.

The current hustle and bustle of traffic was, in fact, just the last frenzy before the storm. It was crucial to ship out goods that could still be exported immediately; likewise, incoming goods had to be hurried.

Affected by the oppressive atmosphere, pedestrians on the street were all “hurrying along,” which even caused the shops on both sides to quiet down.

Especially those selling high-end luxury goods—they were deserted. In contrast, inconspicuous general stores selling daily necessities had long queues forming outside.

The Dutch Government was not unprepared. Ever since Franz had set the precedent for government intervention in the market, there had never been a shortage of imitators—the only difference was the extent of the intervention.

As the buying frenzy erupted, the Dutch Government, in order to stabilize the domestic situation, had no choice but to launch an emergency plan for daily necessities—”rationing.”

But this couldn’t stump the wise Dutch citizens; if there was rationing, one could simply queue up several times. Even if the stores kept records, Amsterdam wasn’t just home to one general store.

In an era without the internet, to truly enforce rationing was extremely difficult.

For capitalists, as long as there was money to be made, who cared who bought their goods?

Unless the government directly intervened and monopolized the market, the effect of “rationing” was at best a way to buy time for the coordination of resources.

Monopoly was out of the question. Unlike later periods with state-owned shops all over Europe, at this time, European nations rarely directly owned businesses.

Without a mature commercial operation model, leaving operations to bureaucrats was even worse than letting capitalists handle it.

At least the government could lose less money, face less criticism, and avoid directly confronting public anger.

If the public could feel the tension, the pressure on the government officials controlling the state was even greater.

Ever since the Tsarist Government decided to support Shinra, the Dutch Government realized that the “neutrality movement” was going to fail and began looking for new solutions.

Unfortunately, time waits for no one. Before a new plan could be devised, news of the Anglo-Austrian conflict in South Africa came first.

“Good fortune never comes in pairs, but bad things never come singly.”

Before the Dutch Government could respond, news of Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, and other countries choosing sides followed.

To date, the remaining European countries yet to declare their stance were only the Netherlands and the Nordic Federation.

Even Portugal, the furthest from Shinra, had pledged allegiance to the Vienna Government just that morning.

The real reason behind the quick decision by the Kingdom of Portugal to betray its British ally and turn to the Shinra camp was not complex. In a nutshell—it was because the Kingdom of Spain had chosen the Holy Roman Empire.

Anyone with a basic understanding of the Spanish and Portuguese feud knew that historically, the two countries were once united. The emerging Spanish nationalism included Portugal in its idealized territories.

Against the backdrop of the two opposing camps, if Portugal continued to side with Britain, it could be annexed by Spain taking advantage of the situation.

And unfortunately for the British, with limited land forces and difficulty defending their own territories, they couldn’t offer strong support to Portugal.

In a one-on-one matchup, Portugal certainly couldn’t beat Spain, especially with Shinra-supported Spain.

Although theoretically, to maintain its hegemony, Shinra had to limit the growth of national strength in other countries and was unlikely to support Spain’s annexation of Portugal.

But theory is just theory. Over the past years, the Vienna Government had done many unreasonable things.

After the truth was bluntly stated by the Envoy in Lisbon, the Kingdom of Portugal quickly made the right decision.

To survive, offending the British is no longer a concern. After all, with so many countries supporting Shinra, even if the British win the war, they wouldn’t have the capability to settle scores.

The worst consequence would be no more than losing overseas colonies. They were long-term losses anyway, so losing them would actually alleviate the financial burden.

As for the damage to domestic interest groups, that’s not something politicians are currently concerned about. In the face of survival, everything else must give way.

With the Portuguese Government quickly picking a side, the pressure on the Dutch Government suddenly increased. Being targeted by two major powers is undoubtedly an unpleasant feeling.

Holding the telegram in her hands, Queen Wilhelmina’s voice trembled slightly as she said, “Suspending commercial trade relations—the Vienna Government is issuing us an ultimatum!”

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Perhaps influenced by Franz’s butterfly effect, Queen Wilhelmina’s political engagement was much higher than in the same period historically.

It wasn’t just her; almost all European monarchs were affected. With the strong rise of the Holy Roman Empire, Britannia’s constitutional monarchy system didn’t hold as much sway as it did in the original timeline.

While other countries also followed in pursuing constitutional monarchies, there were differences between “constitutional” systems.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Prime Minister Christie responded.

“After the outbreak of the South African Conflict, the countdown to war between the Holy Roman Empire and Britain began. It’s not surprising that the Vienna Government would choose to confront at this time.

The only difference is that the Vienna Government’s stance this time is much tougher than at any previous time, with absolutely no room for negotiation.

Perhaps this is what a hegemon is!

Not just us; the Nordic Federation also received an ultimatum. We don’t have much time left and must make a choice before the war breaks out.”

It was apparent that Christie was not at peace inwardly. Clearly, the Vienna Government’s sudden show of strength, a departure from their usual diplomatic demeanor, had touched a nerve.

However, being touched was one thing; realizing this now was too late. The prevailing Holy Roman Empire was simply not something they could challenge.

“Ah!” Sighing deeply, Minister of Internal Affairs Anwen-Henricks lamented, “Choices—we really don’t have any at this point!

Once the hegemonic war between Shinra and Britain breaks out, no one in Europe will be able to stay out of it.

The British might allow us neutrality, but no matter how strong the Royal Navy is, their ships can’t come ashore, while Shinra’s army could march to Amsterdam.

From the moment the Tsarist Government made its choice, our plans had already failed. Now with European countries successively taking sides, it was expected.

Our initiated neutrality movement had already irked the Vienna Government. If we keep resisting, we might just be used by them to set an example.”

It wasn’t that Anwen-Henricks was timid; it was simply that the Netherlands lacked the resources to hold out. If they were stronger, they wouldn’t be so blatantly threatened.

Just look at the neighboring Nordic Federation; although they too received an ultimatum, their language was much more polite, and there was still room for negotiation.

Of course, the Vienna Government’s uncompromising stance was not unrelated to the Dutch Government’s previous neutrality meddling.

Bear in mind, over the recent decades, the Netherlands and Vienna had grown very close, and the two had often maintained similar stances in international politics and diplomacy.

Were it not for the extensive implications of this war, affecting the core interests of their respective nations, the two governments wouldn’t have fallen out so stiffly.

Foreign Minister Van Toff waved his hand and said, “Anwen’s right, the Vienna Government’s position is too hardline, and we indeed have no choice.

We must not only take sides but also make our position clear before the Nordic Federation does, or we’ll face endless troubles.

As for the British side, the Foreign Office will do its best to negotiate, trying to avoid our homeland becoming a battlefield.

However, it might not be of much use—if the British intend to land and fight, there are only three possible locations, and we are one of them.

For national security, I suggest we strengthen coastal defenses, such as increasing the number of shore batteries or forming air defense squadrons like the Holy Roman Empire.

Then, we’ll just have to try our luck with France and Belgium. Hopefully, God will look after the Kingdom of the Netherlands!”

Politics is never simple, and even taking sides is about timing. Being the first or the last to defect can result in vastly different treatments.

At this point, being the first to side is unattainable; the only thing the Dutch Government can do is not to be the last.

Clearly, the opportune moment for political maneuvering has passed; now, taking sides will at best let them sip the broth, without even knowing if it can offset the losses in the war.

Helplessly, given how the situation has developed to this point, the Dutch Government must take sides, even if it means no benefits at all.