Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1111 - 125: Played

Chapter 1111 -125: Played

The Netherlands were forced to pick a side, and the Nordic Federation wasn’t much better off. Although their nation’s foundation was somewhat stronger, it all depended on whom they were compared to.

All the countries on the European continent had been pulled onto the war chariot by the Vienna Government, and even if the Nordic Federation could maintain neutrality, they would still have to consider the repercussions after the fact!

The idea of retreating to the mountains to wage guerrilla warfare was just lip service. Who would abandon a comfortable life to crawl through the mountains and ravines?

Besides, even if they were to take to the mountains, they would need mountains to begin with. Norway and Sweden indeed had the terrain to stage a war of attrition, but Denmark did not!

The entirely flat Jutland Peninsula lacked the conditions for a prolonged defense. We could look to World War II as an example, where the battle ended in merely four hours.

Although it might sound exaggerated, the fact remains the fact, and even if there were other factors involved, it wouldn’t change the outcome.

...

The current situation wasn’t as good as it was in the original timeline; at least back then, the Soviet Union was supporting the European battlefield, and the Anti-German Alliance, despite being at a disadvantage, still had a superior comprehensive national strength.

Now, things are distinctly different. At this moment, the entire European continent seems to be filled with members of the Anti-British Alliance. The mere sight evokes trepidation, not to mention the thought of confrontation.

Faced with the Vienna Government’s ultimatum, the Central Government of the Nordic Federation had yet to make a final decision when the Danish people made the choice for them.

There was no other way; it was a choice driven by reality. For the Nordic Federation, the threat that the Holy Roman Empire could pose was evidently much greater than that from the British.

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As a minor power on the European continent, the Nordic Federation had territory and military strength that was not at all weak.

There was only one thing holding them back from becoming a great power — insufficient population.

Nearly 900,000 square kilometers of land were inhabited by less than ten million people, naturally not enough to uphold a great power.

This was also one of the reasons the Nordic Federation wanted to reclaim Finland. Although the Grand Duchy of Finland under Russian rule didn’t have a great economy, the addition of a few million people to their population was significant for the Nordic Federation.

If the Nordic Federation had a population of twenty or thirty million, they wouldn’t be so passive. The Vienna Government could pressure a small country to pick a side, but when dealing with a great power, they would primarily focus on winning them over.

Unfortunately, reality is without ifs, and the harsh climate limited population growth.

After all, not every nation has the resilience of the Russians, maintaining high birth rates even in the cold, snowy lands.

The Nordic people took a rather laissez-faire approach to fertility issues. With an already small population base and a birth rate that had long been below the global average, they also suffered from severe population outflow.

Population constraints limited the strength of the Nordic Federation, so naturally, they lacked the confidence to face the behemoth that is the Holy Roman Empire.

…

In London, as the storm clouds of war in South Africa thicken, the British Government hadn’t even responded before they were met with the disastrous news of various countries entering the fray.

The situation was changing so rapidly that it was overwhelming. Just a week earlier, the most popular movements in the European world were the “anti-war movement” and “neutrality movement.”

Except for Russia and Austria, all countries on the European continent were members of the “anti-war movement,” and the calls for peace were sky-high.

To avoid being dragged into a war, these countries even agreed to hold an international conference in Madrid after Christmas, aiming to establish a “neutral front.”

With countries making such a fuss, the British Government naturally played its part in fuelling the flames. ‘The law does not punish the multitude’ applies not only to individuals but also to international politics.

If all European countries were involved, even the Holy Roman Empire, however domineering, wouldn’t be able to pursue the matter relentlessly.

For Britain, if they couldn’t bring countries to their side, then ensuring their neutrality was equally a good choice.

To reaffirm the countries’ commitment to neutrality, the British Government was even considering abandoning their plans for a comprehensive blockade of the European continent and focusing only on the Holy Roman Empire.

As it turned out, they overthought it. Fence-sitters will always be fence-sitters; you can’t expect them to stand upright against a fierce wind; it’s simply impossible.

Even though the neutrality movement was initiated by the Dutch, it wasn’t the Dutch Government that was the most vociferous. Instead, it was countries like Belgium and Sardinia that showed the most intense activism.

Putting himself in their shoes, Campbell thought that the main reason was that these countries had all endured the hardships of war, so promoting anti-war was a just cause.

Reality was indeed quite comical. The louder they had clamored before, the quicker they had switched sides in the aftermath.

The news of military conflict breaking out in South Africa had just arrived, and countries were tripping over themselves to pledge loyalty to the Vienna Government, leaving the British Government no time to respond.

Before anyone could understand what was happening, a massive “Anti-British Alliance” encompassing all the countries of the European Continent had sprung up before everyone’s eyes.

Even though some countries had been dragged into it and did not wish to participate in the turmoil, they had ultimately joined in.

“Daring to confront the European Continent alone” had once been a joking threat used by the Foreign Office to scare members of Parliament into allocating funds for a policy to balance power in Europe, but now it had unexpectedly come true.

Foreign Minister Adam spoke with an expression of tragic anger, “We’ve been played by the European nations. They’ve been colluding with the Holy Roman Empire all along.

The anti-war movement that erupted before was just a cover for their collusion, with the purpose of lowering our guard.

I propose that we take immediate action for a full reprisal, to let them know that great Britannia is not to be trifled with…”

Adam could not help but be furious; his political career was already in ruins, and now he was caught up in this mess.

“The worst Foreign Minister in the history of the Great Britain Empire,” he was now firmly cemented in that position. There were no predecessors, and now it was to see if there would be any successors.

The likelihood of being surpassed by successors seemed slim. After all, Britannia’s hegemony came but once; once fallen, it would be difficult to regain, especially with the limited fundamental support of The British Isles.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the name of Adam Winjade would go down in history tied to Britannia as a lesson in what not to do.

Of course, Adam wasn’t the only unlucky one. With such a major incident occurring, every member of the Cabinet present was accountable, and none could expect to escape.

As the saying goes, “A mess of pre-event analysis, and a Zhuge Liang post-event.” The international situation had changed dramatically, and what was once deemed correct was now regarded as a fault.

Campbell interrupted, “Sir, discussing those matters now is pointless. Prepare for the MPs’ inquiries!

Those lords won’t consider the actual situation. They only see a dozen countries colluding to conspire against Britain, and yet we had no clue about such a significant matter.

But not to worry, I believe no one will vie for our jobs before the end of our term. With this mess on our hands, they’d rather avoid it than willingly step into it.”

Anyone can play the role of an after-the-fact strategist, as Prime Minister Campbell said. A dozen countries conspiring against Britain? The question arose: how did the government have no clue?

Someone might even delve deep to analyze the core issues, interpreting the political logic behind this event.

For instance, the Holy Roman Empire owed Belgium a debt of restoration, the Italian States were freed by the hands of the Holy Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire supported Spain’s recovery…

Debts of gratitude always have to be repaid, especially those owed to a major country.

Now the time had come to repay those debts, and it made sense for the countries to support Shinra.

If ordinary people could think of this issue, the government’s lack of foresight could only mean dereliction of duty.

Had it happened at another time, such an event would have been enough to make the Campbell Cabinet resign collectively.

Keeping them in their positions wasn’t due to mercy from others; it was mainly because no one wanted to handle this disaster.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Asquith said, “Prime Minister, I believe the core issue now is not what has happened; we must look forward.

The emergence of the Anti-British Alliance signals that war is on a countdown. Our immediate concern is to figure out how to win this war.

Like stabilizing the morale of our allies, convincing them that the ultimate victory will belong to us. Or perhaps taking the initiative to catch the enemy off guard…”

There was no choice; the Foreign Minister was clearly shaken and out of his element right now; someone had to remind him what needed to be done next.

Prime Minister Campbell said, “I have already submitted the battle plan outline to the King. As the plan has flaws, His Majesty is not very satisfied.

Especially lacking is a strategy to strike at the core of the Holy Roman Empire. It’s merely some attacks against the enemy…”