Chapter 274: Chapter 23, Turmoil in Central Asia
Due to Franz’s butterfly effect, although the Russians suffered heavy losses in the Near East War, they obtained the much-coveted Constantinople, and in the face of victory, domestic crises were suppressed.

After two years of recovery, the Tsarist Government began to grow restless again. However, with the reconstruction of the Vienna System, there was no more room for expansion on the European Continent, and the Tsarist Government had to turn its attention to Asia.

In October 1856, with Russian instigation, the Persian Dynasty occupied Herat. The provoked British immediately declared war on Persia, sparking the Anglo-Persian War.

Herat, bordering the Persian Gulf to the west, the Caspian Sea and the Aksaray River to the north, and the Indus River to the east, held a strategic position due to its unique geographical location, and became an important part of the Anglo-Russian rivalry for dominance over the Asian Continent.

During the Near East War, the Russians had already plotted an expedition to India to force the British out of the war, and Herat was an obstacle they could not bypass.

The Herat Government at the time, fearing that it would offend the British, refused the Russians’ request for passage, and relations between the two countries deteriorated.

To remove this thorn, the Tsarist Government then supported the Persian Dynasty, and now even backed the Persian invasion of Herat.

The outbreak of the Central Asian conflict influenced the negotiations in the Gulf of Guinea, forcing the British Government to make concessions to gain international support.

Without Britain stirring the pot, the subsequent negotiations became much easier. Since France had entered the scene too late and had limited interests in the region, the Paris Government did not make significant efforts to compete, leaving the remaining countries without the strength to contest.

On November 1, 1856, England, France, Austria, the West, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Belgium signed the Treaty of Guinea Bay in Vienna, also known as the Seven-Nation Treaty.

The treaty stipulated that the coastal regions of the Gulf of Guinea be divided along the actual occupied areas of each country, forbidding colonies to attack each other, with the discovery rights to inland gold mines going to whoever found them first.

On the surface, it appeared as though nobody had lost out, but in reality, this secured Austria’s hegemony in the region, as with their manpower advantage, they held an absolute upper hand.

The United States, Spain, and France collectively occupied Liberia, while Austria, the United Kingdom, and Portugal collectively occupied Sierra Leone. Austria, Portugal, France, and the Netherlands took joint possession of the Ivory Coast, Austria, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands possessed Ghana, the Anglo-Austrian partnership occupied Togo, and Austria had sole possession of Guinea.

The various powers in the Gulf of Guinea became intertwined, turning it into the most chaotic region in the world. The Seven-Nation Treaty only temporarily suppressed the contradictions between countries, without eradicating them.

Looking at the distribution map of the powers in the region, Franz had nothing to say. The situation was utterly messy. For instance, in Togo, the British only had an outpost of a few hundred people, but they stubbornly refused to leave.

There was no helping it. In this era, the Great Britain Empire simply dominated the seas, and even with Austria’s local advantage, they could not drive them out.

Franz did not feel aggrieved, as diplomacy was conducted within the range of cannons. While they couldn’t openly target British colonies, who said they couldn’t undermine them in secret?

Despite the complexity of the power struggles in the Gulf of Guinea, the contention was not as fierce as it seemed. It was Britain playing the role of a spoiler, unwilling to see Austria dominate the Gulf of Guinea alone, and thus engaging multiple nations to contain Austria.

If it weren’t for the forces of so many countries present, the likelihood of them being pushed out of the Gulf of Guinea based on their local strength alone would have been great, as their advantage lay at sea and not on land.

Unless they hunkered down in their colonial strongholds and did not venture out, colonial activities could lead to danger. This was the African Continent, where accidents were all too common.

To avoid such scenarios, the London Government sought alliances to divide the Gulf of Guinea. Having secured the largest benefit, Franz naturally would not push things to an extreme.

While the powers were not strong in this region, it represented the face of every country involved. To directly expel them would mean that Austria could no longer mingle in international affairs.

Metternich said, “Your Majesty, the Anglo-Persian War has broken out, and the Russians hope we can support their actions.”

“Support? Absolutely, we must offer support! At least verbally,” Franz didn’t care how restless the Russians were, as long as they weren’t causing trouble on the European Continent.

Negotiations in West Africa had been at a stalemate, and the British, armed with naval superiority, were unlikely to concede easily. But once the Russians made their move, the British quickly yielded ground.

Now was a critical moment for the British to secure their Indian Colony, and the Russians stirred up the Persian people to seize Herat. Was there any doubt about their motives?

Without the French as their enforcers, and possibly facing the Russians on land, even with an advantage, the London Government dared not take the situation lightly.

After some thought, Franz said, “If the Tsarist Government is seeking to trouble the British, it suits us fine for our overseas expansion. What kind of support do they want?”

Metternich calmly replied, “Apart from diplomatic support, they are also looking for a loan.”

Loans again, Franz understood why the historical German-Russian Alliance eventually collapsed. It wasn’t that Wilhelm II’s government was foolish; they simply couldn’t afford the Russians anymore.

It might seem that the German Empire, which appeared wealthy during its development, had a lot of money, but as a new Empire, they actually had little capital accumulation.

No matter how rapid the economic growth, it couldn’t change the fact that they were short on money. In the era of the gold standard, the British controlled most of the world’s Gold, which meant the German Government had to be cautious about increasing the Currency supply.

The market might have reached economic scale, but sadly, government Gold reserves were insufficient. Managing to meet their own currency needs was already fortunate; they simply didn’t have extra funds to lend to the Russians.

To restrain the British, Franz decided to accept, thinking, “We’ve negotiated with the Russians at the foreign ministry. We can agree to a small loan, but it must be secured by collateral.”

A massive loan was out of the question, and the Vienna Government wasn’t wealthy. Even restricting the loan’s terms of use wasn’t feasible.

Franz dared not recklessly inflate the Currency; even with adequate Gold reserves, flooding the market with large quantities of money would lead to inflation. Although not well-versed in economics, he was aware of this basic principle.

Metternich explained, “Your Majesty, the Tsarist Government is unlikely to engage directly in this war, so their financial shortfall shouldn’t be too large.

The victory in the Near East War, although it went to many heads within the Tsarist Government, there were still quite a few enlightened souls who recognized their strength. They intend to push for serfdom reforms, and even have the support of Nicholas I.

After the war’s end, Nicholas I planned to grant all soldiers their freedom, but the Nobility, using insufficient compensation as an excuse, collectively pushed back against it.

Now the Reformist and Conservative factions are at loggerheads, making it difficult for the Tsarist Government to concentrate on external expansion in the short term.”

With concern, Franz asked, “Is it possible that the Tsarist Government could use the war to divert domestic attention and carry out serfdom reforms?”

After a moment of contemplation, Metternich replied, “Your Majesty, that’s nearly impossible. The Tsarist Government’s finances are in a dire situation; they can’t gather that much war funding.

India is the British’s most important colony, and the London Government won’t give it up easily. Once the war breaks out, it will be a prolonged conflict.

The Tsarist Government must be aware of this; their actions are nothing more than adding to the British’s troubles, delaying their absorption of India.”

Clearly, the Tsarist Government was also aware of British strength. As their biggest rival, wouldn’t failing to undermine them be unlike an enemy?

Initiating a proxy war was an excellent choice; a huge win if successful, and no real loss if it failed. After all, the Tsarist Government had ample experience in backstabbing allies.