Holy Roman Empire

Thomas replied: "Your Excellency, the war in the Near East has reached this point, and our plan to contain the Russians has failed.

To continue, apart from increasing casualties, has no practical significance.

Our advantage is that we are at sea, and we ran to land to fight the Russians desperately. Only the idiots of the predecessor could come out.

Our strategy in the future is to stir up conflicts between Russia and France, Russia and Austria, and Russia and Prussia, and use the power of European countries to contain the Russians. We just block them at sea. "

Wars can always teach people lessons. The Near East War made the London government come to the conclusion that it is very idiotic to go to land to fight the Russians.

Use your own weaknesses to attack the enemy's strengths.

It is enough for such a thing to happen once, and they will not make the same mistake a second time.

……

Vienna

Looking at the map of the Balkan Peninsula, Franz was in a daze.

It seems that this time the game is big. If the Russians are really allowed to annex these areas, not only Britain and France will have headaches in the future, but Austria will also encounter troubles.

Don't look at the government meeting, Franz repeatedly emphasized the importance of the Russia-Austria alliance. It was just a political need, and he did not do less to stumbling things secretly.

For example, now, Franz is thinking about how to restrict the Russians.Attracting the attention of Britain and France, the Russians who captured Constantinople would do the job well enough.

The Istanbul area is also very wealthy. Except for Constantinople, this area gathers most of the industries of the Ottoman Empire.

Even if it was a heavy loss due to the war, as long as the foundation is there, it won't take long to recover.

If all of them fell into the hands of the Russians, Mao Xiong would be too powerful after Alexander II completed the reform of serfdom.

The maid whispered, "Your Majesty, Mr. Metternich is here."

Franz said lightly, "Ask him to come in."

……

Metternich reminded: "Your Majesty, the Ottoman Empire has no ability to stop the expansion of the Russians. According to the current situation, the Russians will be able to annex the Balkans in a short time after the war.

In this case, there is no need for us to confront the Russians.The larger the territory they annexed, the more vigilant European countries will be aroused, and a bad one will become a public enemy of Europe.

If the Tsarist government can't handle all this well, Napoleon the Great is their lesson, and we don't need to worry too much. "

Franz pointed to the map of the Balkan Peninsula and said: "You see, this is the area under the control of various countries. According to the Russia-Ottoman secret treaty, all the territories that belong to us have been obtained.

In the remaining areas, except Bulgaria, which was controlled by the Russians, the Principality of Montenegro was also driven back to its hometown by the coalition forces, and all other areas were in the hands of the coalition forces.

If nothing else, these areas will be handed over to the Ottoman Empire after the war, but we all know that as long as Constantinople falls, the Sudanese government will not have the strength to control these areas.

The Russians wanted to annex these areas with little difficulty.Because of the covenant, we cannot intervene in it.

Once we get the Russians in control of these areas, we will be under a lot of pressure in the Balkans.Wouldn't the result be better if these areas were given another owner and let them block the Russians? "

Metternich asked in surprise: "Your Majesty, are you going to hand over these territories to the French?"

Franz explained: "It's not that I want to hand over these areas to the French, but that Napoleon III needs to take these sites and give an explanation to the people in the country.

After fighting for two or three years, 10,000+ people died, and a lot of military expenditure was spent, but in the end nothing was gained. Can the proud French people bear it?

Now Constantinople is still in the hands of the French, as long as they don't let go, the Russians will not take it so easily.

The tsarist government didn't want to fight anymore, they just needed to occupy Constantinople and give the domestic people an explanation.

Wouldn't it be more in our interests if everyone had a secret contact so that France and Russia can get what they need? "

After contemplating for a moment, Metternich said, "Your Majesty, I can't answer this question for you. If we make a push, the possibility of France and Russia secretly reaching this deal is indeed very high.

But where are our interests?After this battle, the Russians will not start a war in the Balkans for at least ten years.

Introducing the French to check and balance the Russians is only an ideal state, and it is more likely that France and Russia will ease relations or even further form an alliance. "

Franz nodded and said: "That's right, in theory, France and Russia have no conflict of core interests, as long as there is a common enemy, the possibility of an alliance between the two countries is very high.

But under the current international situation, who is qualified to be the common enemy of France and Russia?

Everyone knows the answer. There is no other choice but the British, and the London government will not watch this happen.

In case the London government makes a mistake, it's a big deal for us to join this alliance. "

……

134 Chapter Steady

On September 1854, 9, Constantinople fell amidst the sound of slaughter, the Russians realized their century-old wish, the Russian Empire boiled, and the European continent collectively lost its voice.

On the day after the end of the Battle of Constantinople, the new Holy Roman Empire issued a diplomatic note to the warring parties, announcing a high-profile mediation of the war.

This responsible international attitude was immediately praised by France and Russia. The Near East War lasted for more than two years, and the dawn of peace finally appeared.

The eyes of the world are on - London.The Ottoman Empire and the Principality of Montenegro have been ignored by everyone. It is better for a weak country without diplomacy to settle down.

At No. 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister George threw out the water glass in his hand angrily. Constantinople has just fallen. Don't release the water too obviously, okay?

As early as a week ago, the Russians stopped their offensive, and the French army began to evacuate the wounded and sick from the city. It seemed that there was nothing wrong with stopping the offensive when the plague broke out.

Two days ago, the French envoy assured him that he would defend Constantinople to the death, and that 12 French troops would be enough to stop any Russian attack.

Then, last night he received the news of the fall of Constantinople. The 12 French troops broke out from the fall of Constantinople and captured Tekiel, which was heavily guarded by the Russian army. Da.

Prime Minister George really wanted to say: Don't cheat too obviously, you really embarrass me by doing this!

Foreign Minister Thomas said with a pale face: "Everyone, the French have unilaterally ended this war. We must act immediately, or we will be passive later!"

It's not "I'm going to be passive", but I'm already passive.No matter what agreement France and Russia reached, it would be very detrimental to the British Empire.

Once the two countries formed an alliance, the European balance strategy that the British worked hard on went bankrupt.In this era, there is no such a powerful ally.

Secretary of War Stanley said seriously: "The French have withdrawn and even sold Constantinople to the Russians. We can no longer fight this war."

The London government didn't want to fight for a long time, but it's not that simple to withdraw from the war. If it's not easy to be caught by political opponents, it will be a lot of fun.

Stanley was most worried. If the French sold their teammates a little bit more, maybe the British troops on the front line would be swallowed up by the Russians before the armistice negotiations.

Given the Anglo-French feud, it is not impossible for this to happen.If this kind of thing really happens, it is estimated that all European countries will be happy to see it happen.

After hesitating for a while, Prime Minister George made a decision: "The situation is unclear now, we can only adapt to the situation, accept the mediation of the Austrians first, and let the rest be resolved by diplomatic means!

The next focus of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to find a way to isolate the Russians, absolutely not to allow France and Russia to form an alliance, otherwise the situation will completely get out of control. "

suffer?In international politics, who has not suffered?People who just want to take advantage of it, but can't take advantage of it, are not suitable for playing politics.

Today it is lost here, and tomorrow I will find a way to make up for it.Flexibility is the basic quality of a politician, and a temporary defeat will naturally not frighten the British.

Following the statement of the London government, the Vienna peace conference was put on the agenda. After everyone's consultations, it was finally decided to officially hold it on September 9.

History has changed. The Russians did not lose on the battlefield, but instead gained the upper hand. Naturally, it was impossible for the peace conference to be held in Paris, and the Tsarist government wanted to save face.

……

The port of Conakry in Guinea, the largest port in West Africa in later generations, is still a wild land.

Because of the existence of a natural port, it was fortunate to become one of the strongholds of Austria's colonial Africa and entered the age of civilization in advance.

Now it is like a large construction site. According to the plan of the Vienna government, the first step in colonizing Africa is to build a city.

No, it can't be regarded as a city. To be precise, it should be a small town.According to the plan, [-] immigrants will be settled here, plus an Austrian infantry battalion will be stationed here.

Then, with the small town as the core, it began to gradually expand to the surrounding areas until it completely occupied the coastal plain area.

The port of Conakry is not called Conakry now, but a uniquely Austrian name - New Brook.

This is just the beginning. If the colonial plan goes well, many city names in Austria will appear here in the future.

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen, the city lord and the commander of the garrison, looked at the report in his hand and shook his head helplessly. New Brook, which had just started, lacked everything.

Especially the lack of people, it is planned to resettle 200 immigrants.So far, only 56 people have arrived. In less than two months, 37 people have died of various reasons, and [-] people are still lying in hospital beds.

This death rate is only slightly lower than the plague.If this situation continues, the average life expectancy of new immigrants will probably not exceed 35 years old.

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen asked with concern: "Where will the next batch of immigrants arrive?"

The assistant Gold replied bluntly: "I don't know!"

The African colonies are different from the mainland. When they get here, they can only rely on ships to communicate. If it weren't for the supplies being delivered every month, they would have thought they were abandoned.

Of course, in order to maintain the connection between the colonies, Stephen still has a few small boats in his hands, which can communicate with other strongholds.

Within the 300-kilometer coastline of Guinea, the Austrian government established three colonies, where the first batch of colonists were distributed.

Drawing on the successful colonization experience of various countries, the Austrian colonial army only stayed in the coastal areas, and going deep into the inland areas is a matter of the future.

Several indigenous tribes in the plains have been cleared, and even the captives were given to the Portuguese for safety reasons.

The slave trade in this era is still rampant. The United States is the largest slave buyer in the world. Nearly half of the population growth in the United States in recent years has been contributed by the purchase of slaves.

The slave market is still in short supply. After all, the African continent in this era is not a good place, with poisonous insects and beasts infested.

Just look at the death rate of immigrants. Now they are only staying in strongholds to build their homes. If they want to go deep into the inland areas, the death rate will increase significantly.

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen said casually: "I don't know, won't you ask?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen realized that he had done something stupid.This is a colony, not a country. If you want to directly contact the country, wait another few decades!

Wired telegraphs have only spread to cities in the mainland, and rural towns have not been covered, let alone the African continent?

Submarine cable laying technology has already appeared, but considering the high cost, the current African colony is obviously not worth the huge cost of the Austrian government.

"Forget I didn't say it!" Lieutenant Colonel Stephen added in time

Gold said seriously: "Mr. Lieutenant Colonel, I don't think we can continue to wait like this. If you don't want to be overtaken by other strongholds, you must take more active measures now.

Since there is a shortage of labor, we will go to catch it.You see, it has been more than two months, and we are still standing still. There are no more peaceful colonists in the world than us.

Do we really have to wait for the enemy to come over before we can carry out a passive counterattack?Learn from our counterparts in Portugal. Even if no precious minerals are discovered, we must find a way to pay back.

If we follow the current progress, I doubt very much whether we will be able to recover the cost of colonization within 100 years.At that time, don't say that we will be knighted for meritorious service, grass will grow on our graves. "

Unlike Stephen, who was a soldier, Gold, who took the initiative to participate in colonial activities, is not a law-abiding master.

Originally, he came to the colony to make a fortune, but now he builds a stronghold here every day, and the town has begun to take shape, but he has not seen the shadow of making a fortune.

Those plains in the coastal area are really good. If it is in Austria, it is enough to make people snap up. It is a pity that this is the African continent, and the most valuable thing is the land.

According to the Austrian colonial regulations, any Austrian citizen has the right to reclaim these lands, and whoever opens up the farms will be owned by them. The prerequisite is that once the property rights are confirmed, abandonment is prohibited.

It is difficult to get rich by farming in China. Gold doesn't think that he can make a fortune by farming when he comes here. The land is mainly used to resettle immigrants.

If you want to make a fortune in the colonies, the best way is to find mines, especially gold and silver mines, which are the easiest way to make a fortune.

As the first batch of colonists, when they discover minerals and report them to the colonial government, they can get profit dividends after mineral development, and they can also sell them directly to the government for large sums of cash.

Lieutenant Colonel Stephen shook his head and said: "Be patient, Gold, the mood of the immigrants is not stable yet, we need to watch it.

This situation will change when the first batch of grain is harvested, and then it will be time for us to launch expansion.

Now if you have time, you can organize the young and strong immigrants and conduct simple training.These people are not good goods, and it is perfect to use them as cannon fodder.

Let me give you a piece of advice, the African continent is not a good place, and the inland areas are far less dangerous than the coastal areas.

There are many opportunities for the colony to make a fortune here, but there is only one prerequisite, you must have life flowers! "

One word is - stable.From the beginning of the colonization plan, the Austrian government was not prepared to see returns in the first year, which is very unrealistic.

The South African colonies opened up by the British have not been able to make a profit. Why can Guinea recover the cost in a short period of time?

If it was so easy to make a fortune in the colony, it would have been overcrowded long ago. Don't underestimate the enthusiasm of the European people to make a fortune in this era.

Chapter 135 Persuasion

After successfully opening up the Guinea colony, Austria's colonization did not stop, and it turned its attention to the Congo region.

Anyway, these days, there are unclaimed lands everywhere, and whoever occupies them will belong to them. Franz will naturally not be polite.

By October 1854, Austria had successively opened up 10 colonial strongholds on the African continent, sending more than [-] immigrants to the colonies.

……

Franz asked suspiciously: "Prime Minister, why did you stop sending immigrants to the colonies?"

You must know that according to Austria's original plan, all the refugees had to be sent there, and now less than one-tenth of it has been completed.

Prime Minister Felix explained: "Your Majesty, the plague in the Balkan Peninsula has spread, and if there is an urgent need to transport immigrants now, I am afraid that the plague will be brought to the colonies.

Although we have worked hard to recruit doctors, the medical and health facilities in the colony are still not optimistic. Once the plague spreads, the consequences will be disastrous. "