Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 541: Diplomatic Efforts

War serves politics, and naturally, propaganda cannot be left out. Ever since the Austrian government reached an agreement with the Russians, Austrian newspapers have been filled with stories about the dark history of the Ottoman Empire.

This time, there’s no need for fabrication. The crimes committed by the Ottomans during their heyday are innumerable, and digging up dirt is as easy as flipping through the pages of history.

The calls for revenge have grown louder, and the Austrian government has been flooded with petitions, enough to fill an entire room.

The power of hatred has surprised Franz. If it weren’t for Vienna’s capable police force, the Ottoman embassy would probably have been destroyed by now.

Currently, the Vienna police have no choice but to patrol the embassy around the clock to ensure its safety. The supplies for the embassy are delivered by Austrian personnel, as the embassy staff are too afraid to leave the premises.

If it weren’t for waiting on the Russians, Franz could have already ordered the war to begin.

For Austria, this is merely a localized conflict, not requiring full mobilization, and the impact on the domestic economy is minimal. Government departments continue their usual work, except for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has become busier.

The moral high ground is crucial—if you don’t occupy it, the enemy will. Diplomatic activity is inevitable. Fortunately, the opponent this time was the Ottoman Empire, and most European citizens leaned towards supporting Austria, so there wasn’t much pressure from public opinion.

At the Vienna Palace, the Foreign Minister, Wessenberg, exhausted, reported back to Franz, “Your Majesty, we’ve received a telegram from the Roman Curia.

The Vatican hopes that we can launch a holy war against the Ottoman Empire in the name of God. Pope Pius IX is prepared to issue a call to the Christian world and organize another Crusade.”

In modern terms, they’re simply trying to ride the wave. In recent years, the Roman Curia has severely declined. They’ve even lost the Papal States to the French, and now they are confined to their headquarters in the Vatican.

If it weren’t for the support from Catholics around the world, the Curia might very well be starving. Napoleon III hasn’t been kind to them, and most of the Church’s accumulated wealth has been confiscated.

A fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken, and now the Roman Curia’s reputation has plummeted. Apart from their remaining headquarters, many dioceses outside no longer heed the pope’s commands.

Under such circumstances, if they don’t find a way to restore their prestige, it won’t be long before the local dioceses stop even the symbolic aid they provide to the Vatican.

Having been accustomed to good days, it wasn’t easy to return to a life of hardship. Just when they heard that Austria was about to take action against the Ottoman Empire, the Curia naturally came knocking.

If this had happened 100-200 years ago, Franz would have gladly accepted the Vatican’s cooperation. Back then, the Ottoman Empire had not yet declined and was still the common enemy of Europe, so it made sense for Austria not to bear the burden alone.

However, the situation is completely different now. The Ottoman Empire has fallen significantly, and Austria no longer needs so many helpers. If too many parties get involved, how will the spoils be divided in the end?

Franz has had his eyes on the Ottoman Empire for a long time. Dividing it with Russia makes sense only because the Russian Empire has also weakened. While they can gain some advantages, they don’t have the capacity to fully annex the Ottoman Empire, nor does Austria.

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Even Austria lacks the capacity to fully absorb the Ottoman Empire. Franz has already prepared to relocate the local population entirely.

The excuse, of course, would be “environmental protection.” To safeguard the local vegetation and prevent desertification, all the locals would be relocated.

Some could be sent to Africa for development work, others to a remote island in Southeast Asia, or even resettled in the Americas. The exact solution would be decided later.

Franz shook his head and said, “Tell them this is merely a secular war, with no need to elevate it to a religious level. We should show tolerance towards non-believers.”

A “holy war” is extremely brutal. Religious wars have always been battles of life and death, with no room for compromise. After going through the trouble of reducing the influence of the Roman Curia, there’s no way Franz would let them rise to the altar once again.

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The smell of gunpowder filled the Near East, and the Ottoman government, sensing the threat, didn’t sit idly by. In an effort to win the war, they began diplomatic efforts.

Unable to sway Russia and Austria, the Ottoman government had no choice but to focus on Britain, France, and Prussia.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend” is perfectly applied here. The three nations—Britain, France, and Prussia—didn’t want the Ottoman Empire to collapse. Though weak, the Ottomans’ very existence helped keep both Austria and Russia in check.

But plans often can’t keep up with changes. In Berlin, the Ottoman delegation hit a brick wall when William I refused to meet with them.

It’s important to note that during the last Russo-Prussian War, the two countries were allies, fighting side by side. Yet, now they were quickly diverging paths.

The Ottoman government had hoped that Prussia and Poland might send troops to distract the Russians, easing some of the pressure on them.

Unfortunately, Prussia’s ambitions were far greater than the Ottomans had imagined. Prussia aimed to use this war to annex Poland—well, not exactly annex, but to have William I ascend to the Polish throne.

Annexing Poland would be no easy feat, even if the European powers didn’t object, as the Polish people themselves would not agree.

However, a dual monarchy would be different. There was already historical precedent for such a union—like the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Now, it could become the Polish-Prussian Commonwealth, making it more palatable for the populace.

European countries might object to a dual monarchy, but their opposition wouldn’t be as fierce as if Prussia attempted a full annexation of Poland. There would likely be no coalition for intervention to disrupt it forcefully. With some behind-the-scenes negotiations and a trade of interests, the goal could be easily achieved.

Having failed in Berlin, there was no point in going to Warsaw. Without Prussia as the main player, the Poles simply didn’t have the strength to restrain the Russians.

In Paris, it wasn’t just the Ottoman delegation making moves. Austria’s envoy in Paris was also busy, with both sides engaging in diplomacy.

From a military standpoint, saving the Ottoman Empire would be impossible without French involvement. If the French government stood by and did nothing, even if the Ottomans managed to persuade the remaining countries to intervene, it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Napoleon III once again turned to his son for advice, “Eugène, what do you think we should do?”

Crown Prince Eugène, with a tense expression, responded, “This is a very difficult choice. Strategically speaking, the existence of the Ottoman Empire is naturally in our favor.

History has shown that the Ottoman Empire’s presence diverts a significant portion of the Habsburg monarchy’s focus, preventing them from fully dominating Europe.

However, this time, Russia and Austria have allied. If we want to intervene, the cost would be too great, and it could even lead to war.

Given the current situation, we should avoid conflict with Austria, at least for the next five years, and try to avoid war with any major power.

Whether or not to save the Ottoman Empire depends largely on their strength. If they are truly finished, then saving them would be useless.

But if they can withstand the first wave of attacks, we can rally the other European nations to mediate. Without much cost on our part, the Austrian government would likely back down.”

Napoleon III patted his son on the shoulder, nodding with satisfaction, “Well done, Eugène. You’ve improved quickly. It seems it won’t be long before you can handle matters on your own.”

After taking a few steps forward, he added, “Now is indeed not the time to intervene. For Austria to dominate Europe, they must first eliminate the obstacles behind them.

The Russian and Ottoman Empires are their main hindrances, and Franz’s decision to ally with Russia means they’ve removed one enemy from behind.

Their only significant threat now is the Ottoman Empire. Once that thorn is removed, Austria will completely control the Eastern Mediterranean, with their influence extending all the way to the Indian Ocean.

But there’s no need to worry too much. The Ottoman Empire’s existence is the foundation of the Austria-Russia alliance. Without a common enemy like the Ottomans, the ‘Russo-Austrian alliance’ loses its purpose.

Perhaps in the near future, Russia and Austria will see each other as mortal enemies, fighting for dominance in Europe.

Of course, that depends on whether the Russian government can win the second Russo-Prussian War. Franz’s strategic skills are formidable. The Kingdom of Prussia, which was once a thorn in Austria’s side in the German Confederation, has now become the perfect tool to restrain Russia.

If the Russian Empire ever truly collapses, remember to lend them a hand. With that thorn still in place, neither Prussia nor Austria would dare fully engage in the struggle for European dominance.

Let the British handle this issue for now! Notify the British government that we will align with them on this matter. If they send troops to intervene, we’ll match their contribution.”

As a man faces death, he sees things more clearly. Now Napoleon III has realized that the most suitable ally for France is the Russian Empire, but unfortunately, this realization has come too late.

During the reign of Nicholas I, the Russian Empire was at the height of its power, casting a shadow over all of Europe.

In an effort to revive France and shake off the chains that bound it, Napoleon III, like other European leaders, made the decision to suppress the Russian Empire.

Through the collective effort of various countries, the decaying Russian Empire finally buckled under the pressure and began to decline. Although Alexander II’s reforms restored some of Russia’s strength, it was still far from its peak.

Now, it’s too late to forge an alliance with Russia. Napoleon III couldn’t justify pouring money into the bottomless pit that is the Russian government without good reason, and even if he personally wanted to, the French people would not stand for it.

The phrase “The enemy is in Paris” isn’t a joke. The fighting spirit of the people of Paris is unmatched anywhere in the world. If they were to discover that the government was betraying the country, a revolution would be easily sparked.

They haven’t yet unleashed their full potential. In another timeline, when they did, they changed governments more frequently than they changed clothes.

While most people might not change their clothes three times in a week, the French managed to change governments three times within a week—even accounting for the weekend break!

To boost the Ottoman Empire’s morale, Napoleon III provided support to the Ottoman government. In addition to material aid like weapons and ammunition, he also offered them a large promissory note.

The implication was clear: “You must hold on. Once we’re ready, we’ll send troops. For now, we’re just deceiving the enemy so we can catch them off guard.”

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In London, Prime Minister Gladstone was quite displeased with the attitudes of both Prussia and France. Not only were they acting like cowards, but they had also passed the decision-making power over to Britain, effectively putting the British Empire on the spot.

On paper, the world seemed to follow Britain’s lead, but in reality, who was actually listening? Napoleon III’s words sounded nice, saying that whatever troops Britain sent, France would send the same amount.

But if you think about it, it’s obvious how unreliable this is. This war was primarily being fought on land, and even if there were sea-to-land operations, they could be done through the Black Sea.

It wasn’t as if the Royal Navy could just sail into the Black Sea to assist the Ottoman Empire. If they dared to enter, they’d better not expect to come back out.

The straits of the Black Sea are so narrow that blocking the entrance wouldn’t be difficult. Once trapped inside, it wouldn’t take long before the British fleet was wiped out.

Without the ability to blockade by sea, Britain would have to fight on land. But with the size of the British Army, they wouldn’t even be enough to withstand the first wave of attacks.

Of course, they could threaten Austria and Russia by blockading overseas trade. But if they actually did that, the French would likely applaud and then sit back as spectators.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Austria’s navy is only half the size of Britain’s—it might seem like the Royal Navy could easily crush them, but war isn’t just a numbers game.

If it came to a fight, the Austrian Navy could still rely on its scattered colonies and launch a trade war.

And as for a trade blockade, Austria isn’t exactly a pariah in Europe. How could Britain ensure that other European countries wouldn’t continue doing business with Austria? Not to mention, the French would never pass up the opportunity to profit from a war.

In theory, the solution would be to eliminate Austria’s scattered overseas colonies. But these colonies aren’t easy targets. Aside from the weaker forces in Alaska and Austrian South America, most of them are heavily defended.

Given the size of the British Army, even if every soldier were deployed, it wouldn’t be enough. Surely Britain wouldn’t expend its national resources and risk everything to build up its military just to fight Austria over the Ottoman Empire?

Prime Minister Gladstone made it clear—he had no interest in this kind of thing that harms oneself and benefits others.