Holy Roman Empire

Regardless of how poor the Austrian Central American colonies are, it also depends on who they compare with.Compared with European countries, it must be a little brother, not even in the top ten.

But on the American continent, the military strength of the Austrian Central American colonies can definitely rank among the top five, and may even rank among the top three when the sea routes are unimpeded.

Everything depends on the opponent. South America is an agricultural country with a pitifully small population and serious racial conflicts. Naturally, its combat effectiveness is not good.

……

While the Colombian people celebrated this great victory, European public opinion also caused a major earthquake, and the sales of newspapers continued to rise.

There are different opinions in the media, but the evaluation is mixed. The mainstream media is mainly divided into two waves. Those who support it think that the Austrian government's initiative to pay compensation is a manifestation of its courage to take responsibility and respect the sovereignty of other countries.

The opposition believes that this is a purely political "show", a concession made only under international pressure, which is a victory for international public opinion.

However, this kind of victory was not complete, and the war of aggression was beautified as an "accidental conflict", and the aggressors were not punished as they should be, and pointed out that such "misunderstandings" in international struggles will continue to emerge in endlessly in the future.

In addition to the mainstream views, there are all kinds of messy arguments.

For example: attacking the Vienna government for its cowardice, making concessions to little Colombia, and disgracing the face of the European powers.

……

Standing on their respective standpoints, experts and scholars expressed their opinions in the newspapers and fought with each other.No one knows how many sailors there are.

In short, if you are arguing about the topic, you will be led astray.First, from "the misunderstanding of the accidental firefight in Panama" to the ongoing "Guano War", then the South American game between Britain, France and Austria, and finally ran back to the Prussian-Russian War.

As more topics were discussed, the situation changed.Compared with the ongoing war, the "misunderstanding" incident that has been settled has changed from "news" to old news, and gradually faded out of everyone's sight.

Chapter 255

Time passed quickly, and the Austrian army quickly withdrew from the Panama region, but the target of the handover was not the Colombian government, but the local government of Panama.

To be precise, it should be the Panama Independence Organization. The original local government of Panama has been replaced long ago, and now the independent organization is in charge.

The Colombian government troops were blocked by local militiamen on the way, and they were not allowed to enter the country.

The two sides are confronting each other. The Panamanian Independence Organization has not yet issued a declaration of independence. The reason for refusing the entry of government troops is: poor military discipline.

Although Colombia is not an American-style federal system, the rights of local governments are not small, and it is not without precedent to refuse the entry of government troops.

Knowing that the Panama region is about to fight for independence, President Rafael Nunez can only resort to political means before independence begins.

Repression does not exist!Whoever fires the first shot now bears the responsibility for starting the civil war.

This is what the Vienna government wants to see most. The civil war broke out just after the Austrian army withdrew, which feels awkward no matter how you look at it.

Moreover, the longer the delay, the more fully prepared the independent organization will be.It also takes time to control the territory. The independent organization has only been established for a few months.

……

Foreign Minister Weisenberg: "Your Majesty, the Colombian government has once again urged us to pay compensation. According to news from the embassy, ​​they have been surrounded by the families of the soldiers who died in action for three days.

Some people even stormed the embassy area, demanding pensions.Now it is difficult to even go out to buy daily necessities, so the Colombian government can only send them in. "

Hearing the news, Franz smiled slightly.Isn't it just being protested by people? It doesn't matter which big powers don't experience it a few times these days, and if they encounter too many.

“Tell the Colombian government to ask them to provide identification for the families of the soldiers who died in battle, and as soon as the identification is verified, we will immediately issue the pension.

The loss of property is concentrated in the Panama region, and only the local people need to be compensated. In order to avoid the funds being misappropriated for other purposes, we will directly send the funds to the local government. "

What is "for the local government" for, is it used to fight civil wars?

If there is a choice, it is estimated that the Colombian government would rather not have this compensation.This is not just a hot issue, it is clearly fatal.

Revenge, this is real revenge.Compared with this, the "misunderstanding" of the previous conflicts can only be regarded as pediatrics.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg reminded: "Your Majesty, the Colombian government has relaxed trade controls on the Peruvian border in order to show us goodwill.

Now that we do this, I am afraid they will block the border again, and the smuggling cannot continue, and Peru and Bolivia will..."

Franz waved his hand: "This is just a small problem. Peru is a French boy, and most of the materials purchased now are French products. Even if it is blocked, what does it matter to us?

As for Bolivia, haven't we already opened up the trade line with Argentina?Although there were not many materials smuggled in the past, if they saved a little, it would probably be barely enough. "

The "misunderstanding" of Panama just passed not only Colombia, but also Argentina, which is also a neighbor of Austria, was also frightened. Even the Chilean government, which hugged the British thigh tightly, was frightened.

In South American countries these days, no one is much better than the other, and all of them are weak chickens, and none of the top three in South America stands out.

It was just a "misunderstanding", and Colombia's loss of troops has caught up with all the losses in the "Guano War" for more than a year, so everyone can't help but panic.

Seeing the strength of Austria, Argentina, as a neighbor, naturally has to adjust its foreign policy.It is not enough to directly release the trade blockade, that will offend the British.

However, this will not trouble the shrewd Argentine government bureaucrats.It is impossible to trade on the surface, and it can also be smuggled secretly.

This serves multiple purposes. Not only Austria is satisfied, but even the British have nothing to say, and the bureaucrats can take the opportunity to make a fortune.

……

Austria is on the move, and the French are not idle. The current French Empire is much stronger than the original time and space.Tiger's prestige has not been punctured, and French Guiana is still there. It is not easy to deter several South American countries.

The Vienna government was able to persuade the Argentinian government to relax the blockade, and the French can also turn a blind eye to the Brazilian government.

In a sense, the "blockade" created by the British had a lot of loopholes from the very beginning.

The so-called "blockade" only blocked ordinary businessmen.The real effect is probably to reduce the inflow of materials and increase the cost of purchasing materials between the two countries.

Business groups with strength and background have never cared about blockades.As long as the benefits are sufficient, there is no blockade that capitalists cannot cross.

Even the coastline that the Royal Navy personally checks, there are also merchant ships breaking through.As long as the background is big enough, you are not afraid of being caught.

Things that the British can't do, let alone other countries.In addition to the domestic dignitaries, there are also a bunch of bold business groups with backgrounds from great powers.

If you are caught, at most you will be persuaded to return.There is no accountability, what if it causes diplomatic conflicts?

Chile is probably the only country that has truly implemented a strict blockade.Vital interests are involved, and it will not work if you are not strict.

……

Perhaps the South American region is too rich, or perhaps the South American countries are too weak.In short, the South American region successfully aroused the interest of Napoleon IV.

Seeing Austria's idea of ​​playing Panama, Napoleon IV also wanted to expand the French South American colony.

France has not expanded abroad for several years, which is too bad for Napoleon IV who wants to surpass his father.

For the great plan of the emperor, the senior officials of the French government are both excited and helpless. Everyone wants to make contributions and leave a name in history, but the problem is that the conditions do not allow it!

Foreign Secretary Dumbledore persuaded: "Your Majesty, the current international situation is not suitable for external expansion. The Russo-Prussian War has reached a critical moment, and we cannot disperse our strength.

Judging from the current situation, once the Prussian-Russian War is won or lost, the European continent will undergo another reshuffle. This is our best opportunity to expand our influence in Europe.

If it weren't for the impending changes in Europe, the Vienna government would not give up the Panama region it had acquired. International public opinion alone is not enough to make them make concessions. "

No problem, the most popular thing these days is "Eurocentrism".According to this principle, France and Austria, both continental countries, must concentrate on coping with the post-war changes.

Napoleon IV shook his head: "Your Excellency, this does not contradict my plan. Colonial expansion is a long-term national policy, and it will not be launched immediately.

All we need to do now is the preparatory work, and it will not be too late to take action after the dust settles on the European continent.

The world has been divided up. The most annoying British people have taken the richest area; even the gang of southern European barbarians have taken a big piece of cake.

What is left to France is the leftovers. In name, we are the third colonial empire in the world. In fact, everyone knows that it is a big pile of sand.

One step at a time, one step at a time, and now there is not much room for us to choose.Apart from East Asia is South America. Relatively speaking, there are many small countries in South America, and it is easier to succeed. "

Expansion, expansion, and expansion are not Napoleon IV's personal desires, but the urgent needs of French domestic industry and commerce.

This is the price that industrial powers must bear. Without the blow of the Franco-Prussian War and the annexation of Italy, France's industrial production capacity has increased too much compared to the same period in history.

The increase in industrial production capacity does not necessarily bring good things, but it is accompanied by an urgent demand for raw materials and commodity sales markets.

Affected by the large amount of imported raw materials, the cost of French industrial and commercial products is relatively high, and its international competitiveness is limited.

To solve this problem, the best way is naturally to expand.No raw materials - robbing; no commodity market - robbing.In short, there is nothing that the word "grab" cannot solve.

After hearing this explanation, Dumbledore hesitated to speak.He wanted to say that the South American countries were not weak, but he couldn't say what he said.

Strength and weakness need to be compared. Compared with France, South American countries are too weak.Even if all these countries are added together, it is impossible to be France's opponent.

The emperor's stance was firm, and the colonial expansion faction in the country was strong. Seeing that the situation was not right, Roy, the Minister of Finance who was also anti-war, hurriedly changed the subject in order not to make a resolution immediately:

"The South American issue is not in a hurry. The most important thing right now is the Prussian-Russian War. There are indications that Austria has plans to annex the German Federal Empire.

The British are unreliable. If the Pubo Federation is defeated and the Russians only win miserably, then we are the only ones who have the strength to stop the merger of Austria and Germany.

If the Vienna government insists on going its own way, and we must stop it, war will be inevitable.

Everyone has seen the tragedy of the Russo-Prussian War. If we go to war with Austria, it will probably be even more tragic than this.

In order to ensure victory, we must prepare in advance.This requires a lot of money, which our finances cannot afford. "

This is not purely flickering, Austria has always had a plan to annex the German Confederation, and it has changed with time.

Once the international situation changes, maybe the plan will become a reality.The Russo-Prussian War happened to be an opportunity.

If the Pubo Federation wins, there is nothing to say. Even if the losses are heavy, the Berlin government can only choose to fight Austria.This is a matter of principle, and there is no possibility of any compromise.

It would have been different if the tsarist government had won and suffered heavy losses.

Of course the Russians did not want to see Austria annexing the German Federation, but the Tsarist government would not rush upwards in order to stop Austria.

This is determined by interests. Even if Austria unifies Central Europe, the Russian Empire will still be the Russian Empire. At most, it will lose its way to expand to Europe, and the threat is not fatal.

The so many loans released by Austria were not in vain, and they could still influence the decision-making of the Tsarist government at critical moments.

If some benefits are promised, the possibility of compromise between the two countries is very high.

In this context, the Vienna government is capable of persuading most European countries to be neutral, and the final outcome is likely to be singled out by Fa and Austria, adding at most an unreliable British ally.

After Napoleon IV succeeded to the throne, he basically continued his father's economic policy. Although the domestic economic development has slowed down, it is still very good overall.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer really surprised him when he said "no money".Immediately relieved, the debt of the Paris government has always been heavy, this is an indisputable fact.

The most owed money in the world is not the awesome John Bull, nor the newly revived Austria, nor the warring Prussia and Russia, but France, which dominates Western Europe.

No way, rebuilding Paris, building infrastructure, revitalizing armaments, expanding foreign colonies, and annexing Italian regions all cost money.

What was left of the Orleans dynasty was a mess of high debts.Although Napoleon III revived the French economy, he failed to change the situation of the government's high debt, and the debt increased even more.

This is not to say that this economic model is not good. In fact, the government investment in stimulating the economy in many countries in later generations is based on the same concept.

Only in this way, the government's debt will continue to rise.In the era of the credit standard, this hole can also be filled by issuing additional currency, but in the era of the gold standard, it can only resist hard.

Under this economic model, while the French economy is developing rapidly, the government's debts are also increasing day by day.

The total debt of the Paris government has exceeded 280 billion francs. This figure exceeds the sum of the debts of Prussia and Russia, making it the largest debtor country in the world.

Of course, having too many debts does not mean that the Paris government is really poor.Not all government investment is public welfare, and many investments have become assets that can generate income, but these assets cannot be realized in a short period of time.

After contemplating for a moment, Napoleon IV shook his head: "The situation in Europe is not that serious yet, and the Austrians have not started preparing for war, which means that the Vienna government is also not ready.

Your guesses are actually only possible.There are too many assumptions in this, and the war must end with a tragic victory for the Russians before the next thing happens.

In fact, the Russo-Prussian War has been going on until now, and no one can prepare to grasp this speed.

The Russians' chances of winning are indeed greater, but not necessarily a miserable victory.Even if the Pubo Federation loses, it does not necessarily lose all of its capital.

The British are indeed unreliable, haven't we counted on them?

Besides, why do we have to go to war with Austria? Carving up the German Federation is also a good choice.

Don't tell me, the Austrians want an all-out war with us?If there is a fight, the cheap ones will only be the British. "

The tripartite confrontation is the most stable structure, and the main reason is that everyone is worried that "the snipe and the clam will fight, and the fisherman will benefit".

Compared with the British who are isolated overseas, whether Austria or France, their own strategic positions are much worse.

Chapter 256 Moltke's Big Plan

After the beginning of spring, the smoke of gunpowder on the Eastern European battlefield filled the air again.After a winter of preparations, the situation is quite different.

The Berlin government organized people to build a large number of castles and fortresses in the border area, and the movement of the Cossack cavalry was restricted.If you want to loot the goods, you must storm the castle fortress.

The combat effectiveness of the Cossack cavalry is based on interests.The people were prepared, and the difficulty of robbery continued to increase. In many cases, the casualties paid were not proportional to the gains, and the enthusiasm of the Cossack cavalry was also hit.

Active and passive, the outbreak of fighting power is completely different.

Although the Cossack cavalry is still dispatched, the results achieved are getting smaller and smaller.In many cases, it is just to destroy farmland and infrastructure, and soldiers are unwilling to gnaw hard bones.

It is no longer the Middle Ages. As long as you have money in your pocket, there are many places where you can buy food.It's just that the farmland in the border area is damaged, and the Berlin government can bear it.

To a certain extent, William I would also like to thank the Tsarist government. It was the Russians' cruel methods that made the Poles have to rely on them.

The decline in the destructive power of the Cossack cavalry does not mean that the scorched earth strategy of the tsarist government failed.

In the face of war, human beings are vulnerable.In order to escape the flames of war, people in many border areas dragged their families and ran inland, and many areas became no-man's land.