Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 564: War Correspondent

To partition Poland, it wasn’t enough for Russia and Prussia to reach an agreement. They also needed approval from the rest of Europe, especially the consent of France and Austria.

Vienna Palace

Foreign Minister Wessenberg said, “Your Majesty, we’ve reached an agreement with Russia and Prussia. They’ve openly supported our goal of unifying the German states, in exchange for our neutrality on the Polish question.”

It wasn’t just an empty promise but even less reliable than that. If Austria were to actually unify the German states, the most intense opposition would come from Russia and Prussia themselves.

In the face of conflicting interests, such verbal commitments carried no binding power. Whether they’d follow through depended entirely on their honor.

Franz didn’t believe that Russia and Prussia would keep their promise. Despite their current fierce conflict, if Austria moved to unify the German states, both nations would quickly reconcile their differences.

No matter how deep the enmity between Russia and Prussia ran, could it compare to the rivalry between Britain and France? In the original timeline, when the German Empire rose under the Second Reich, Britain and France could even set aside their hatred. Russia and Prussia could do the same now.

In the end, it all came down to interest. Austria’s unification of the German region would directly threaten their security, especially for Prussia, where it would be a politically fatal blow.

In recent years, the Prussian government had deliberately downplayed the idea of a unified Germany and promoted the “Greater Prussia” ideology because the Junker aristocracy feared Austria’s influence would infiltrate and dismantle them from within.

If Austria annexed the German Federal Empire, it would inevitably fuel German nationalism within Prussia, which was something the Prussian government could never accept.

The same was true for Britain, France, and Russia—they didn’t want Austria to grow any stronger. If Austria unified the German states, it would become the de facto ruler of continental Europe, posing a grave threat to their strategic security.

If Franz took this step, no matter how masterfully he played the diplomatic game, he would be doomed to be ganged up on.

One-on-one, Austria wouldn’t back down. Against two opponents, careful deliberation would be needed. Against three, there was little chance of success. Against four? They might as well surrender right away. There was no sense in courting death like that.

Russia and Prussia clearly had ulterior motives. Rather than truly supporting Austria’s unification of the German states, they were more interested in luring Austria into shouldering international pressure with them, thereby weakening the alliance of the three powers: Britain, France, and Austria.

Franz nodded, “As expected, Russia and Prussia’s secret dealings are all about preventing us from intervening. Let them enjoy their moment for now. When are the British planning to act?”

Those who plot are themselves plotted against. Great power diplomacy has always been a game of mutual calculation. Today you scheme against me, tomorrow I scheme against you, with each nation relying on its own tactics. Among nations, there are only interests, no right or wrong.

Wessenberg replied, “We don’t know the exact time yet. The British don’t fully trust us, so they’ve kept things secret up to this point.

Roughly, it should be before William I ascends the throne. If they want to force Prussia to make concessions, they’ll need to act before the Prussian government’s plans are fully in place.”

In terms of negotiation and compromise, Austria plays at the highest level. The current political landscape of continental Europe was the result of numerous deals and compromises orchestrated by the Austrian government with other nations.

Without such maneuvering, Russia wouldn’t have gotten Constantinople, France wouldn’t have annexed Italy, the Russo-Prussian War likely wouldn’t have happened, and Poland wouldn’t have had the chance to become independent.

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British concerns were understandable. When faced with such temptations, who wouldn’t be tempted? No one could guarantee that the Austrian government wouldn’t take this opportunity to strike a deal with the French.

In a way, the diplomatic philosophies of Britain and Austria were the closest. Both were centered on international interests. When faced with issues, their first thought wasn’t how to solve the problem but how to maximize national interests.

After pondering for a moment, Franz made a decision, “In that case, let’s bolster the strength of the Russian Empire so that Prussia doesn’t grow too powerful and cause us trouble.

If the Russian government wants to train troops, let them. Approve the Russian troop increase plan. We’ll provide the strategic supplies.”

International politics was an interconnected web of actions and reactions. As Franz began playing his own balance-of-power strategy, he gained a new understanding for the challenges the British faced.

Just maintaining the balance between Russia and Prussia was already quite difficult, yet the British were playing the game of balancing the entire continent. This involved more countries and required considering many more factors, making it far more complicated to manage.

No wonder a world war broke out in the original timeline. Constantly walking on eggshells, there's bound to be a misstep eventually. The British government in the original timeline was probably just as bewildered. Who could have predicted that the French would end up exhausting themselves?

...

In the Middle East, Lieutenant General Feslav quietly observed through his binoculars as a crowd gathered towards the northern side of Jerusalem.

The Austrian forces besieging the city turned a blind eye to the activity as if they had forgotten about the northern side.

A burly young officer reported, “General, the patrol found camel tracks in the north, indicating that someone may have delivered supplies to Jerusalem under cover of night.”

Since the patrol had deliberately left a gap in surveillance, there was no need to send anyone to check during the night. This gave the enemy an opportunity to sneak supplies into the city.

Without any concern, Lieutenant General Feslav replied, “Don’t alert them yet. Send someone to monitor them covertly, and once we’ve rooted out the Ottoman spies, we’ll catch them all at once.”

After a pause, Feslav shook his head again and said, “On second thought, forget it. Post a notice: from now on, anyone providing assistance to the Ottoman Empire will be treated as guilty of treason.”

He continued, “We don’t need to explain further. Once the reporters leave, we’ll settle accounts with them slowly.”

The young officer hesitated but ultimately said nothing. The Ottoman Empire had been entrenched here for centuries so even if the Austrian army dismantle their rule, it will not be easy to eliminate their influence quickly.

Naturally, some people still supported the Ottoman government, so it was only normal that they would secretly transport supplies to the defenders. But how much could they really smuggle in under such conditions?

For the tens of thousands of people inside the city, these supplies were a mere drop in the ocean. Moreover, there were many devout believers arriving from all directions to defend the Holy City, and they too needed to be fed.

Feslav had a rough idea of what the Austrian government intended. It was clear they weren’t in a hurry to reclaim Jerusalem. The General Staff had even issued orders that no advance beyond Jerusalem should be made until the city was recaptured, practically implying that he should drag out the battle.

Given the situation, it was best to take it easy. War was to serve politics, and if the political situation required a delay, then the war would just have to continue at a slow pace.

Otherwise, Feslav would have already ordered his troops to bypass Jerusalem and advance toward Jordan. Most of the Ottoman Empire’s forces in the Middle East were concentrated in Jerusalem, making them no match for the Austrian army’s might.

Due to the presence of journalists, Feslav had even refrained from dealing with the local Ottoman forces.

Even though he knew some people were collaborating with the enemy, he couldn’t be bothered to investigate. It wasn’t that he was neglecting his duties, it was simply unnecessary to waste the effort.

The Austrian government had already sent geologists and hydrologists to assess the water, soil, and natural environment of the Middle East in order to prevent desertification of the Holy Land. Journalists accompanied the experts throughout the process to document their findings.

The data collected so far was quite grim: over-cultivation in the region had led to severe soil erosion and desertification. The experts suggested that the land in the Middle East needed at least twenty years of fallow to restore the local ecosystem.

This issue sparked widespread outrage across Europe, with many condemning the Ottomans for their greed and reckless exploitation of nature.

If nothing changed, the post-war Austrian-controlled Middle East would likely implement a long-term land fallow plan, banning agriculture and livestock farming for twenty years. The local population would have no choice but to leave.

According to past practices, these people would be repatriated to the Ottoman Empire. While it might sound nice that they could return home peacefully, the reality was much harsher. Could the Ottoman government handle resettling so many people?

For the local elites especially, the loss of their land and property would reset everything to zero, forcing them to start from scratch.

This was almost impossible. The Ottoman Empire’s class system was already rigid, with fewer pieces of the pie to go around as it kept shrinking. The future Ottoman government would undoubtedly face serious unrest.

The only ones currently able to provide resources to support Jerusalem’s defenders were the local wealthy nobility, but after the war, they would return home bankrupt and destitute.

That emotional blow might be worse than death for them. Even if they accepted reality, they’d still be a headache for the Ottoman government. Given this, why should Feslav bother getting his hands dirty?

...

In the reporters’ exclusive camp, war correspondent Brad complained, “This damned weather is unbearable! If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have come.”

Brad was a seasoned war correspondent, and wherever there was a war, he was sure to be there. This time, he had come at the request of the London Daily.

Of course, his desire to visit Jerusalem as a pilgrim was also part of the reason. However, plans never seemed to go as expected, and the Austrian army, which had been advancing swiftly, had come to a halt outside Jerusalem.

The official reason for stopping was concern that the fighting might damage the Holy City, where stray bullets and artillery fire could easily hit sacred sites.

This explanation was frustrating, yet politically correct. Given Jerusalem’s unique religious significance, devout believers couldn’t tolerate the idea of unrestricted combat in the area.

The temperatures in the Middle East were scorching, far beyond what ordinary people could endure. Recently, Austria’s non-combat casualties had risen to double digits.

If the soldiers were struggling, the journalists fared no better. The Austrian army wasn’t going to treat the reporters like royalty, so there was no chance they’d provide ice just to cool them down.

Brad’s tentmate, Henry, joked, “You can still leave. Austria’s supply ships come every week, and they wouldn’t mind taking one more person on board.”

Brad’s face turned grim. Abandoning a war report halfway through would be utterly humiliating. It would harm his professional reputation.

“Shut up! I’m not the type to retreat in the middle of a mission, and you can forget about hogging all the glory for reporting on this war. This is the reclamation of the Holy Land, we’ll never get another opportunity like this. If I miss it, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

War correspondents also build their careers based on experience. The more major wars they’ve reported on, the more valuable their news becomes, and the higher their standing in the industry. A war as significant as the reclamation of Jerusalem naturally attracted intense attention.

Of course, if it weren’t for the significance of reclaiming the Holy Land, there wouldn’t be hundreds of war correspondents gathered here, nor would Brad and Henry be crammed together in a single tent.

For example, when the Austrian army attacked Kuwait, apart from local newspapers sending journalists, most of the major European newspapers couldn't even be bothered to send anyone.

For these less important stories, they would just copy the information released by the Austrian government or reports published in Austrian newspapers, make a few edits, change the perspective, and mention it briefly in the international section.

Only battles like the one for Jerusalem, which attract the attention of the entire public, are worth sending reporters to gather firsthand information and then give it the grand narrative treatment after some artistic embellishment.

The treatment for a few reporters versus a large crowd of them is completely different. If there were only one or two war correspondents, the military might still give them a warm reception. But when hundreds of war reporters show up all at once, it becomes annoying for anyone.

The Austrian army’s every move is now being closely watched by these reporters. If not for concerns about public image, General Feslav would have sent them packing long ago.

So, all the costs for these reporters are covered by the newspapers backing them. The Austrian army merely provides a safe camp and the most basic living conditions, essentially putting them on the same standard as the soldiers.

If they want better living conditions, they’ll have to figure that out themselves. Unfortunately, this is the Middle East, where the war has led to economic collapse and social disorder. Not only is it impossible to spend money, but even venturing outside is risky—you can’t stray far from the camp.

A few bold colleagues had gone out to interview the locals, only to be sent to meet God, or maybe Allah.

Except for one lucky guy who was saved by a passing Austrian patrol, the rest became corpses, with one unfortunate soul even being put on a barbecue grill by refugees.

After this lesson, no one dared wander around anymore. Now that the Austrian army had laid siege to the city, there wasn’t even any news to report, so the reporters were stuck in the camp, passing time.

Henry laughed, “Just joking to lighten the mood, don’t be so upset, Brad. Life is tough enough already. Without a positive attitude, how could we get through it?”

Brad nodded, “Alright, you’re probably right. Things are pretty boring these days. May God bless us and help us reclaim the Holy Land soon.”

Henry, ever blunt, retorted, “I don’t think God’s blessings are very reliable. Otherwise, Jerusalem wouldn’t have fallen into the Ottomans’ hands in the first place.

You should go tell the Austrians to hurry up and launch their attack, so we can reclaim Jerusalem sooner and go home.

The way things are going, I bet we’ll be spending Christmas here this year and maybe even next year’s Christmas too.”

For war correspondents, spending Christmas on the battlefield is nothing unusual, since no one can guarantee a war will end before the holidays.

But this time was different. The harsh climate was bad enough, but most of the reporters could endure that.

The real problem was that the Austrian army was laying siege without attacking. History books are full of examples of sieges lasting three to five years. Given Jerusalem’s unique status, everyone believed the Ottomans must have prepared well in advance.

Brad’s good mood evaporated instantly, and he rolled his eyes, “Nonsense. The Austrians’ excuse for not attacking is that they’re worried about damaging the Holy Land. Why would I tell them to attack?

You’ve seen the cities along the way. If the Austrian army goes all out, even if they do reclaim Jerusalem, it’ll just be a pile of rubble. Who could take responsibility for that?”