Holy Roman Empire

The information provided by the colonial government of Austrian Central America is also mixed with personal emotions.They are not so bold to completely fake them, and artistic processing is still indispensable.

This kind of thing belongs to the instinct of the bureaucracy, and there is no way to stop it.Not to mention this era of constant communication, even in the Internet age, it is also repeatedly prohibited.

"In the current international situation, it is not suitable for us to directly occupy the Panama region. It will be a matter of time before we withdraw our troops, and the sooner this time, the better.

What was the Colonial Office's plan for this reality? "

Colonial Secretary Stephen: "We are organizing immigration. After the efforts of the colonial government, we have persuaded more than a dozen colonial teams to immigrate to Panama.

These civilian armed forces will become the main force against the Colombian government forces in the early stage and help the Panamanian government survive the most difficult years. "

Franz nodded. This is not necessarily the best choice, but it is the most suitable choice for Austria right now.

Having the fig leaf of "immigration" is better than going directly to mercenaries.

In any case, as long as these "armed immigrants" obtain the household registration in Panama, it will be a contradiction between the people of Panama and the Colombian government.

Of course, everything has advantages and disadvantages, and the civil colonial team also needs to pay back.Relying on them to work hard now, the interests of the Panama region in the future will be shared with them.

Similar things have happened many times during the Austrian colonial process, and the Colonial Ministry has already had rich experience.

It was by relying on large and small civilian armed groups that Austria was able to establish a huge colonial empire in just over 20 years.

In this regard, Franz is still very generous. It is better to let ambitious people go overseas to grab territory than to stay in the country to grab territory. The nobles in the colonies, large and small, are the best among them.

The current actual situation is better than Franz expected.Although there are many feudal nobles, there is no king or hegemony, let alone independence.

This is enough, you must know that in his prediction, he is also mentally prepared to allow the princes to establish states when they become bigger.

Facts have proved that he was overthinking. What is popular in Europe is the blood lineage theory. There is no such thing as "princes and generals should be kind to each other".

The expansion of the nobles was not as strong as he imagined. After obtaining the fiefs, they started farming one by one. They did not expand the territory and become kings all the way.

Of course, lack of money and no one is also the most important factor restricting ambition.

Expansion of territory is very costly, and a large amount of capital investment is also required in the early stage of colony operation. No matter how rich the family is, it cannot withstand the toss of the war. The money in the pocket is exhausted, and it is impossible to stop farming.

Let alone no one, no matter how big the nobles can mobilize immigrants, there is a limit.At most, there are only a few dozen or 20 people, with such a small population, and they are not farming honestly. Being king and hegemony is completely tired of working.

Fools may exist, but nobles who can lay down a foundation are definitely not fools.If you don't have enough strength, how can you negotiate conditions with the central government?

"The Panama issue will be carried out according to your plan. Except for the bottom line that active-duty soldiers cannot appear on the battlefield, the other Colonial Department will make arrangements according to the actual situation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should negotiate with the Colombian government as soon as possible to reach a compensation agreement as soon as possible, and then hand over the captives to the Panamanian local government. Let them and independent organizations slowly quarrel with the remaining issues! "

The bottom line must be obeyed, this is the rule of the game.Not only to take into account international influence, but more importantly, to protect their own interests.

The current rules of the international political game itself were established under the leadership of Britain, France and Austria. The purpose of the establishment is to safeguard the interests of the three countries. If the chessboard is blindly overturned, Austria's losses will only be greater.

Among other things, the maintenance cost of the colony alone will increase significantly, and some remote colonies may even change owners.

Choosing to deal with it as soon as possible is actually to calm the storm of public opinion.The current public opinion is very unfavorable to the Vienna government, and it will only get worse if it continues to drag on.

The payment of "compensation" is only for the Colombian government to admit that it was a "misunderstanding".The parties involved all said it was a misunderstanding, and if other people gossiped about it, it would be framed.

Franz is very experienced in guiding public opinion. In this era of constant communication, newspapers control public opinion. It is too easy to reverse black and white.

To a certain extent, the British public opinion offensive at this time is actually a divine assist, as long as the problem is brought to the London government.

"The British government framed Austria, deliberately exaggerated and distorted the truth", this statement is almost believed by Franz himself, let alone ordinary people?

Foreign Secretary Weisenberg: "Your Majesty, if the British do not intervene, it will not be difficult to persuade the Colombian government.

However, judging from the current situation, the London government wants to take the opportunity to make a fuss and damage our international reputation.

I worry that the Colombian government will come up with a sky-high compensation to embarrass us on purpose. "

This kind of worry is not superfluous. People are always easy to get lost in the face of interests. As long as the British fool around, it is almost inevitable that the Colombian government will propose "sky-high compensation".

If it agrees, Austria will be taken advantage of; if it does not agree, the public opinion will be difficult, and it is not in line with the strategy of quelling disputes as soon as possible and quietly swallowing the Panama region.

After a little thought, Franz sneered and said, "If the total amount cannot be negotiated, then we will offer a sky-high price. For example: the pension for each soldier killed in battle is increased to [-] Aegis, but the Colombian government must provide a death certificate .

As for the loss of property, we don't have to worry too much, we can make appropriate concessions.Whether the money will be given, and to whom it will be given in the end, is still uncertain. "

The "death certificate" is a joke. The Panama region is in the hands of the Austrian army. It is not easy to destroy the corpses.

The Colombian government could not produce evidence, and the final number of people who need to pay pensions is what the Vienna government said.

The total number of people has gone down, and no matter how high the payment standard is, it is actually the same.

Since the characterization of this incident is a "misunderstanding", if there are too many people killed in battle, it will not be convincing.

Compensation for property damage, by contrast, is easy to negotiate.The money can be paid to the Colombian government, as well as to the local government of Panama, or the post-independence Panama government.

If the Panama region wants independence, the Colombian government will definitely not agree, and war is inevitable.

After the war, the local area is in a state of disrepair, and a large amount of money is bound to be needed for reconstruction. The Panamanian government will definitely not be able to get this money out, and the Austrian government will have to pay for it in the end.

He had to pay the money anyway, and Franz didn't mind using it to buy fame in advance.After the Panama region is annexed in the future, these investments will be recovered.

Of course, the Colombian government also needs to appease it. It still needs to give some money in the early stage, otherwise people will not cooperate.

……

Chapter 254 The belt is crooked

Compared with Austria, which wants to quell the turmoil of public opinion, the Colombian government can't afford it.The Panama area is still in the hands of the Austrian army. If it is not recovered as soon as possible, it may not be recovered.

Although the Austrian government has made a promise, it is only a promise, and it is up to others whether it can be fulfilled in the end.

The bottom line of the great powers is very low these days, and breaking contracts is commonplace.If the Vienna government refuses to accept the account later, the Colombian government does not have the strength to allow them to continue to fulfill their promises.

Similar things are not without precedent.If so, the Colombian government can do very little, except for a few verbal protests.

After receiving the negotiating diplomatic note from the Austrian minister, President Rafael Nunez didn't care too much, so he went directly to the battle in person.

Now is not the time to avoid suspicion. If the Panama region cannot be taken back, he, the president, has done his best, and it is useless to shirk responsibility no matter how much he does.

Both sides want to quell the dispute as soon as possible and end this not-so-good "misunderstanding". Naturally, they must actively participate in the negotiations.

Even if the British are cheering on, it doesn't help. The strength gap between the two sides is too great, and the Colombian government has no hard capital.

President Rafael Nunez wants to get greater benefits at the negotiating table, but he is more worried that the time will drag on and the Vienna government may change.

After all, international reputation is only valuable if you have to have it.If it has been corrupted and cannot be recovered in the short term, it is equivalent to being temporarily useless.

Since it's useless, it can be smashed.There are many similar precedents. If you look through the history books, you will find that the British have the most experience, and it is not good now.

The Vienna government is eager to quell the storm of public opinion, mainly because it wants to make the major incidents smaller and minor incidents, and clean up this stain as soon as possible, so as not to affect the subsequent diplomacy.

If it is delayed for a long time, after the public opinion is fermented, it will not be cleared, and it will be meaningless to continue negotiating with the Colombian government.

Perhaps to the British, tarnishing Austria's international reputation was more valuable than a small Panama region; but from the standpoint of the Colombian government, the result was just the opposite.

There is a powerful neighbor next to him, and the Colombian government still hopes that this is a good neighbor with integrity and a bottom line.

If the Vienna government lowers its bottom line, they are really in danger.It's not just a problem in Panama, maybe the whole Republic of Colombia may lose money.

In the face of cruel reality, Rafael Nunes dare not bet.No matter how the British fanned the flames and promised more benefits, they could not resist the threat of a gun on the neck.

In order to avoid further deepening of the "misunderstanding", President Rafael Nunes walked to the negotiating table with full sincerity.

Everyone was sincere, and none of their demands were excessive, and the negotiation went very smoothly.In less than a month, the two countries reached a preliminary agreement.

On May 1880, 5, the Austrian ambassador to Bogota, Loreira, and Colombian President Rafael Nuñez signed the "Agreement on the Aftermath of the Unexpected Firefight in Panama".

The two countries agreed that the exchange of fire was entirely accidental. The main reasons were: the foggy weather and the deliberate instigation of the "thugs" running around;

The culprit is the fleeing "thugs", who have been wiped out by the coalition forces of the two countries, and there is no way to hold them accountable.

Since the plan to exterminate the "bandits" was organized by Austria, the Colombian government was invited to participate by the Austrian Central American colonial government, and suffered heavy losses in the accidental exchange of fire. The Austrian government is willing to make humanitarian compensation.

According to the provisions of the treaty, the Austrian government needs to pay a total of 342.6 million Aegis in compensation to the Colombian government, including: 58.4 Aegis for casualties, and 284.2 million Aegis for economic and property losses.

(Remarks: After the signing of the treaty, the two countries handed over the Panama area within one month, and the Austrian troops were all withdrawn before July 1880, 7. The compensation was paid in five installments, and valuable objects were accepted.)

Regardless of the amount of compensation, there is no need to be picky about the method of payment. It is the first time in Colombian history that it can get compensation from the big powers.

As a small country, you can't expect too much.The truth of the matter, only the sophomore boy would want to find out.

President Rafael Nunez is smart enough to know that even figuring out what's going on doesn't make any real sense.

With Colombia's strength, it simply has no ability to seek justice.Now that we can sit down and talk, it is because the Vienna government wants to use diplomatic means to solve the problem, so this negotiation is only possible.

If the lid is lifted, the Austrians become angry and simply occupy the Panama region, that would be a tragedy.

Being able to recover the lost ground and get a certain amount of economic compensation is the greatest victory in diplomacy.

After the signing of the treaty, Rafael Nunez disclosed the good news to the public for the first time, and the people of Colombia were excited.

Rafael Nunez's precarious presidency suddenly became stable.From the "idiot president" that everyone shouted and beat, he became a "national hero" in an instant.

One of the few newspapers in Colombia has already promoted Rafael Nunez to the altar, known as the greatest diplomat in South America.

However, the "great diplomat" did not show a smile of joy on his face.

"Victory" is still too early, there is no pie in the sky.The great powers are not vegetarian, and Austria's money is not easy to get.

Even if the Vienna government made temporary concessions in order to calm the storm of public opinion, it does not mean that they have given up their ambitions for the Panama region.

Studying the map carefully, looking at the green mark, the Panama Canal has not yet been opened, Rafael Nunez sighed.

In the back of his mind, he has already greeted the entire family of the senior administrations who approved the construction of the Panama Canal.

Apart from a small amount of plains, the Panama region is mostly mountains and forests, and there are very few mineral resources discovered, so it is not worth Austrian peeping at all.

The only problem can only be found in the Panama Canal, the Grand Canal that runs through the two oceans, both in terms of economic value and strategic value are very high.

There is a precedent for the Suez Canal, and everyone knows that once the Panama Canal is navigable, it will bring a lot of money.

It's a pity that the Colombian government has limited strength, and occupying this golden waterway is like "a child holding a golden brick in a busy market."

President Rafael Nunez is very clear that the blockade of Peru is only an inducement, and the main reason for Austria's action this time is to spy on this golden waterway.

It seems that Austria has withdrawn from the Panama region due to international pressure, but in fact this is just the beginning, or a trial.

The defenders in Panama did not block the enemy's front, and no one can stop Austria's ambitions. Colombia's future is destined to be difficult.

Opening the window and taking a breath of fresh air, Rafael Nunes asked slowly: "How much intelligence has the Panama Independence Organization collected?"

The middle-aged man replied helplessly: "It's a pity, Mr. President. The time is too short, and our people have no time to get in.

The information collected now is only what they themselves exposed to the public.

Before this, we hadn't even heard of this organization.It is suspected to be related to the former Republic of Panama, and is deeply involved with Austria.

With the deliberate connivance of the Austrian army, this organization has replaced the original Panamanian local government and formed its own army.

These troops exist in the form of militias. These troops are mainly of German origin, and most of the officers are retired Austrian soldiers.

The total strength is about 1.5 people. It is worth noting that several regiments of them were directly changed by civilian armed forces. These people are all colonial teams who have just immigrated. "

Knowing that the Austrian government is behind the support of the independence movement in Panama, Rafael Nunez can only pretend to be confused.

If this layer of window paper is not pierced, the Vienna government must take into account the international influence, so it can only provide support to the rebels secretly, and the support is limited.

If this layer of window paper is torn off, the Vienna government, in addition to being ugly, is more likely to be cheeky and directly recognize the legitimacy of the Panamanian regime.

The recognition of the great powers these years is also an important factor for a country to gain independence and sovereignty.

Rafael Nunez is very clear that the policy of blocking Peru not long ago not only offended Austria, but also offended France, Peru, and Bolivia.

As long as someone takes the lead, these countries will recognize Panama's independence.If you add the countries that are seriously affected by Fao and recognize the independence of the Panama region, maybe this number can exceed half.

The Panama region originally existed in the Republic of Panama, which was later merged into Colombia. With this historical origin, if half of the countries in the world recognize Panama's independence, it will really be independent.

In this way, the military operation to suppress the rebellion has evolved into a war between two countries, and the nature is completely different.

Rafael Nunes: "Keep checking, I have to find out the leaders of the Panamanian Independence Organization and how deep their relationship with Austria is.

It is best to find evidence of Austria's manipulation of the Panama Independence Organization, otherwise the British will not intervene. "

There is no way that Britain and Austria are still allies and must abide by the rules of the game.

During the South American War, when John Bull swayed Chile, the Vienna government only did things secretly. Except for a few protests on the issue of the seizure of ships, most of the time they acquiesced.

Just like the previous "misunderstanding of an accidental exchange of fire in Panama", the British are only doing things secretly, and the London government believes in the "misunderstanding" on the surface.

Through covenant constraints, the scope of everyone's struggle is limited, and when necessary, they will cover each other. This is the main reason why the Triple Alliance of Britain, France and Austria can be maintained.

Colombia's desire to let the British stand out is actually wishful thinking.Even if the evidence is obtained, the London government will at best condemn it mildly.

This is determined by interests, but also by strength.The Panama Canal has not yet been opened to navigation, and its strategic value has not yet been reflected. It is not worth their confrontation with Austria.

What's more, in the Panama region, the British did not have the strength to contend with Austria, even with the addition of the Republic of Colombia, it was very reluctant.