Chapter 277: Chapter 26, Reflection
After the outbreak of the Central Asian War, the Persian Government realized they had been dupped by the Russians, or more precisely, by the bureaucrats within the Tsarist Government.

The so-called aid was indeed provided, only it was a little late in action and discounted in quantity.

What were minor issues in peacetime became major problems in wartime; due to the lackluster support, the Persian military was initially oppressed by the British on the battlefield.

For their own safety, the Persian Government decided to introduce the power of a third country to balance the forces of Britain and Russia and to end the war as soon as possible.

Regrettably, the officials of the Persian Government were not very astute; they first turned to the United States, attempting to use American power to balance Britain and Russia.

Unfortunately, at this time, America was not yet the formidable United States of later years; they might have had some say in American issues, but who knew them in Central Asia?

Facing the aggressive attitude of Britain and Russia, Americans who were only interested in sharing privileges naturally cowered at the first opportunity. Of course, even if they hadn’t, no one would have listened to them.

Left with no choice, the Persian Government turned their gaze once again to the European Continent, seeking help from France and Austria.

Vienna

Metternich handed a document to Franz and said, “Your Majesty, this is a diplomatic note from the Persian Government, hoping that we can mediate this Central Asian War.”

After reading through it, Franz shook his head and said, “Refuse the Persian Government; we have no immediate need to get involved in the affairs of the Persian region.”

The Vienna Government preferred Britain and Russia to grind each other down in Central Asia; stepping in to mediate at this stage would be foolish.

As for the economic benefits promised by the Persian Government, they were actually of little value to Austria. Austria’s main products in international trade were processed agricultural goods, along with a small export of industrial products and machinery.

The Persians could be self-sufficient in food and couldn’t afford Austria’s processed agricultural products. Being a traditional feudal monarchy, Persia had limited demand for industrial products and machinery; moreover, they had to face competition from the British, leaving little profit to be made.

Before the Suez Canal was dug, Franz had no intention of getting involved in Persian affairs. If he had the energy, he would rather infiltrate the Arabian Peninsula; at least he had the Sinai Peninsula as a stronghold.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Metternich replied.

Clearly, he too had no interest in interfering with Persian affairs. Perhaps it was due to his advanced age that he had become conservative or he was simply acting from a perspective of interests.

None of this was important. With ongoing reforms, Franz still needed the Conservatives to apply the brakes; otherwise, it would be catastrophic if things sped out of control.

Many old empires often died faster precisely because of reforms, mainly because they did not find the right balance. Harsh measures were needed only when an empire was on its last legs, engaging in a desperate final battle.

Clearly, the New Holy Roman Empire had not yet reached that point; next door, the Ottoman Empire truly needed powerful remedies, barely alive since it lost the Balkan Peninsula.

Navy Minister Filkos suggested, “Your Majesty, as Corfu Island has long been known as the gateway to Venice, we cannot consider the Adriatic Sea truly secure without seizing it.

Despite the British including the Ionian Islands in their protectorate with no large garrison stationed there, the potential threat remains, and we must seize the opportunity to take it.”

Strength is always the best foundation. With the commissioning of the Frederick, the Austrian Navy had grown restless and desired to capture this gateway.

Franz nodded and said, “Dealing with this issue now is a bit troublesome, but the Foreign Office can start by contacting the British to see if they would sell it to us.

To my knowledge, it seems the local residents are quite displeased with the British. The puppet government they’ve supported there is not popular among the people; if necessary, we could plan a local uprising.”

Franz was not worried about whether the British would let go. Once an uprising erupted in India, the British Government had no choice but to compromise.

However, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. If we take over here, we won’t be able to trade interests with the British in other regions.

Metternich replied, “Your Majesty, it’s likely that the British will let go of just Corfu Island; they are more worried about us taking advantage of the Ottoman Empire.

Recently the UK Foreign Office and the French have been in frequent contact; they are very likely courting the French to prevent our expansion of power in the Mediterranean.”

Corfu Island is only one of the Ionian Islands and while critical to Austria, it is not so significant to the British.

Ever since gaining protectorate rights in 1815, the London Government has never stationed a large force on the island. This is partly not to provoke Austria and partly because there’s truly no need.

As for containing Austria? Whether in Malta or the Strait of Gibraltar, they could do it, so why bother at their own doorstep?

Every addition of a military base is accompanied by colossal military expenditure. Though the London Government is wealthy, they are not foolish.

Prime Minister Felix said, “There are not many places left for expansion in the Mediterranean Region; the rest are either under the domain of England and France or within the sphere of the Ottoman Empire.

With the newly established Vienna System still very fragile, we must act with utmost caution in any move we make.”

Navy Minister Filkos analyzed, “The Egypt Area is untouchable, as it is an agreement reached with England and France that we cannot breach.

We have given up on Morocco, Algeria is in the French pocket, and Tunisia is regarded as prey on the chopping block by Napoleon III; if we do not wish to conflict with the French, these regions must remain untouched.”

Not to mention the homeland of the Ottoman Empire, if they were indeed defeated, it would only benefit the Russians and the loss for us would not make up for the gain.

The most strategically valuable place left is Crete. By occupying this island, we would extend our sphere of influence to the Aegean Sea and increase our say in the Mediterranean.”

As for Cyprus, it currently holds strategic value only for the Ottoman Empire. For Austria, it might be only in the middle to late next century that its strategic value can be recognized.

No need to say more about Libya, a nation of the desert truly deserving of its name, with a total population of merely five to six hundred thousand nomadic tribes. England and France have not expanded there, not because they lack the power, but because it’s without value.

The elites of the same era all have similar perspectives; places that England and France overlook are of naturally no interest to the Vienna Government either.

Franz mentioned casually, “The financial situation of the Ottoman Empire is in terrible shape. If they hadn’t sold the remaining territories in the Balkans to the French, they probably wouldn’t even be able to pay the interest on their debts.

The Sultan Government is currently undergoing reforms and must be in desperate need of money. The Foreign Office could get in touch with them to buy or lease the areas of Crete and Cyprus.

If they are willing to sell the sovereignty over the Libya region, we can also take it. In the future, it’s possible we could build a railway from Libya to the Gulf of Guinea which would be greatly beneficial for consolidating our rule there.”

There’s no use in discussing other matters. Things like precognition of the future and strategic foresight are activities for the brain-dead. Without the protagonist’s aura, one wouldn’t survive past the third episode.

It’s fine to deceive the common folk, but dream on about fooling the elites of this era. They would only come to one conclusion—The Emperor has gone mad!

Speaking directly in terms of tangible benefits is what really works. If you cannot convince everyone, then brute force is the next step, and one should be prepared to become isolated and possibly abdicated at any moment.

Like now, Franz believes that the Congo Basin is Austria’s most valuable colony, whereas the Vienna Government considers the Gulf of Guinea as Austria’s most valuable colony.

He was aware, but Franz had no plans to persuade everyone.

The benefits of the Gulf of Guinea are visible, profits could be reaped in a year or two, while the Congo Basin wouldn’t show returns without three to five years of continuous investment.

Talking about the future is the most nonsensical thing; international situations change unpredictably, and the fate of future colonies is unknown. What development prospects can one discuss?

The attitudes of European countries towards their colonies are more or less the same: colonies that can turn a profit in the short term are considered good; areas that cannot produce income are seen as worthless.

Archduke Louis opposed, “Your Majesty, we don’t need to invest too much effort in the Mediterranean Region, except for Corfu Island; other areas are of very little value.

They hold little strategic or economic value. It would be better to seize the opportunity to expand our influence into the Pacific region. Recently, there’s been news from the Far Eastern region that England and France are preparing a large operation. We can also join in.”

Franz shook his head, “What benefits can we get by following England and France?

A round trip by the navy to the Far Eastern region would take a year, plus time for war, it might be two years.

If we have this much time, we’d better continue to establish colonies on the African Continent. Extending our front too long is not beneficial for us; only the interests we can defend are the real benefits.”

Though this reason wasn’t compelling, it greatly appealed to everyone. There were no Radicals in the Vienna Cabinet, and Franz thought he was radical enough already. If there were a few more Radicals in the Vienna Government, then trouble would surely arise.

Throughout world history, countries governed by Radicals always end in tragedy. Even if they succeed, it is only temporary success, and in the end, they are bound to lose even more than they gained.

As is now, if the government were run by Radicals, they would have opted for direct aggression, instead of diplomacy.

In the eyes of many, bullying the Ottoman Empire doesn’t require any hesitation.

But in reality? As territory is continuously seized and expanded upon, the number of enemies also grows. Each success brings one closer to failure.

All nations have their limits of tolerance. The First World War didn’t just break out because the countries saw Germany as a threat.

Germany’s continuous expansion and provocation of other nations’ nerves were also significant reasons. If it only happened once or twice with minor interests involved, they might have endured; but after ten or eight times, what else is there to say? Naturally, they are going to hit back.

If the government of Wilhelm II had exercised restraint and not provoked the British, would the situation have been so dire?

The answer is: No!

As long as the Germans refrained from blindly expanding their navy and resisted the urge to quickly bring Italy onboard, outsiders would see the German-Austrian Alliance and the French-Russian Entente as evenly matched. In order to maintain the balance of power on the European Continent, John Bull would not have intervened personally.

We cannot guarantee other scenarios, but buying an additional ten years is achievable.

What does ten years mean? It means that German power could advance further, the population could grow by ten million, and the advantage over lackluster France on the Western Front would become even more apparent—France simply couldn’t afford a war of attrition.

Similarly, it means the Russian Empire would decline further, internal contradictions would intensify, and pressure on the Eastern Front would diminish.

With an increase on one side and a decrease on the other, even if complete victory could not be achieved, it would be possible to weaken French-Russian and force the British to compromise and share in the world hegemony.

History is devoid of what-ifs. The Radical Junker nobility single-handedly created the splendor of the Second German Empire, but also laid it to rest with their own hands.