Holy Roman Empire

The minor incident in North Africa did not affect the European Continent; even the newspapers reporting the rebellion were few and far between.

Now is a time of peak arrogance for European people, who simply don’t care about colonial rebellions in remote and impoverished regions.

The French government failed to quell the Egyptian colonial rebellion promptly, an embarrassing situation they could not suppress news about quickly enough, let alone publicize.

England and France, being involved themselves, were also not keen to lift the lid on the matter. Other countries did indeed want to laugh at the French, but nobody wanted to be the first to make a move.

The inability to ridicule the French in Africa did not stop people from revealing the wounds of the French Army in Annan.

Nearly 20,000 French soldiers couldn’t defeat a band of...It was like a resounding slap to the face of Napoleon IV.

"Waste, they’re all a waste! The face of the French Army has been lost by them, maintaining them..."

"Send reinforcements immediately, I want to..."

...

Under the Emperor’s roar, everyone tacitly lowered their arrogant heads.

If the initial defeat on the battlefield was due to the French Army’s lack of preparation and being caught off guard by the enemy; continued defeat left no room for excuses.

Finance Minister Roy Vernon touched his forehead and advised, "Your Majesty, Annan is too far from us; the cost of expedition is too high, and further reinforcements would be more loss than gain."

As a colonial empire, the most important thing is to weigh the pros and cons. Colonies are established for profit; thus, controlling costs is essential.

All supplies for the campaign in Annan had to be transported from the homeland, and the cost was nearly three times that of domestic operations.

Early failures already proved that the enemy was not easy to provoke, and further reinforcements might not guarantee victory. Even if the war were won, the military expenditure required was astronomical.

These immense military expenses could not be recouped through colonial management in the short term, making the investment return ratio extremely low.

Without a doubt, Napoleon IV said, "That won’t do! All European countries are watching us and laughing; if we stop now, how can we stand in the world..."

There are many cases where colonial failures have led to withdrawal; the most recent being the British invasion of Afghanistan, which cost hundreds of millions of British Pounds and ended in vain.

However, this did not apply to France. The title of the world’s strongest land force was both an honor and a burden.

Just as the European world was beginning to rumor that the French Army was all bark and no bite, the French Forces had been lacking any significant victories since the end of the anti-French wars.

If the French government gave up now, the outside world would not care about the reasons for giving up; they would only say: the French Army is finished; they can’t even defeat a band of...

Once the perception was shattered, the aura of the invincible French Army would be lost too. Napoleon IV, who had studied military affairs, knew the importance of "the spirit of the army" very well.

Times have changed, and the Austrians across from them are no less equipped or trained than the French; the French Army’s only advantage was the militaristic spirit forged during the Napoleonic Era.

The illustrious military achievements in the history of the French Army made every French soldier believe they were the strongest, giving them a psychological advantage against any enemy on the battlefield.

Without that spirit, the French Army would be no different from any ordinary European force, and France would lose the ability to intimidate the European Continent.

It was impossible to let go, and continuing the war was very disadvantageous; the French government found itself in an embarrassing and difficult situation, like riding a tiger they couldn’t dismount.

Foreign Minister Terence Burkin suggested, "Your Majesty, according to news from the Far East, the enemy has already made peace overtures to us.

We might as well use diplomatic means to resolve the Annan issue first, and then settle accounts with them after suppressing the Egyptian rebellion."

(Note: The Sudan area is relatively poor economically. France established a governor’s district in Cairo, with jurisdiction including French Sudan and Egypt)

Proposing diplomatic means to resolve the issue, Terence Burkin did not make this offer lightly. It was precisely because he understood the enemy that he proactively took on what seemed to be a "thorny" task.

Finance Minister Roy Vernon echoed, "The Marquis is right; the pressing matter is to focus on solving the Egyptian rebellion.

This uprising in Egypt, backed by Anglo-Austrian support, is no ordinary rebellion.

Egypt is our most important colony; should the rebels spread to the Delta Region, our losses will be tremendous."

With the cotton plantations and the Suez Canal as its lifelines, Egypt’s significance to France needs no explanation.

Confronted with harsh reality, Napoleon IV had to make a choice once again.

"Well then, let the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deal with the Annan matter for now. Urge the Governor of Egypt to send troops to suppress the rebels promptly."

...

While the French were wrestling with their headache, the London Government was also mired in concerns.

Following the end of the Near East War, the Tsarist Government gained a large sum of revenue and saw significant relief from financial pressure.

Without any surprise, Russia, having just escaped from financial hardship, became restless again, engaging in mischief in Central Asia.

After settling a bunch of resentful migrants into Siberia, the Russians realized it was a vast waste of money.

To save precious funds, unscrupulous Tsarist bureaucrats directly drove migrants into Central Asia.

If it were just this minor matter, it wouldn’t be a concern for Prime Minister Gladstone – the few Khanates of Central Asia could handle it themselves.

The key issue was the Russians’ continual small maneuvers in the border regions; one day the Russian Army would come and steal a few sheep, the next day the Russians would come and take a few horses...

Especially last month when the Russians relocated several Cossack tribes, seizing a vast expanse of grassland.

The small Central Asian countries, lacking the courage to confront the Russians, could only look to the big brother to step in.

Foreign Minister George: "The Foreign Office has already negotiated with the Russians, and the result is very pessimistic.

The Tsarist Government not only refused to acknowledge the fact of crossing the border, but they also insisted that they were merely moving within their own territory and warned us not to interfere in their internal affairs.

Perhaps it won’t be long before war erupts again in Central Asia. I fear that the forces of the few Khanates in Central Asia will not be able to withstand the Russian onslaught."

The wheel of fortune turns; it has always been the British who have been the hooligans, but now they have met their match.

Prime Minister Gladstone slammed the table, "Damn Russian barbarians, daring to provoke Britannia like this, we must show them some color."

He was truly angry, and even if there is a limit to telling blatant lies with open eyes.

Caught with evidence, the Russians not only refused to admit fault but instead retorted, making Gladstone feel that the dignity of the Great Britain Empire had been challenged.

Finance Minister George Childs reminded him, "In reality, we can do nothing; as early as three years ago when the Tsarist Government declared debt default, we had already sanctioned them.

It had no effect, as the Royal Navy could not enter the Baltic Sea or blockade the Black Sea.

The maritime business of the Russian Empire was mostly undertaken by Northern Europe and Austrian enterprises, and the Royal Navy, even if encountered, could do nothing about it."

Interest is always the best bond; originally, the Nordic Federation wanted to find fault with the Tsarist Government as a form of revenge for the Russians not honoring their agreement.

However, after mediation by the Vienna Government, and given a considerable amount of shipping business by the Russians as compensation, the relationship between the two quickly recovered.

No matter how the British warned, it couldn’t delay the two countries’ enterprises from making money. Surely they can’t break up with two countries over such a trivial matter, can they?

After insisting for several months and seeing no effect, the London Government had no choice but to lift the blockade order against Russia.

Every time he thought about this, George Childs couldn’t help but criticize the previous few governments: Their heads must have been filled with water.

On the one hand, they supported the Prusso Federation, and on the other, they borrowed money to the Russians, which ended up with the smaller brother Prusso Federation defeated, in debt and unable to fulfill promises, with Russians directly defaulting.

Of course, the economic losses were still reluctantly recovered, at least the British Pound held a leading advantage over the Divine Shield for quite a long time.

Unfortunately, this was a thing of the past; after the Prusso-Russian war, the Tsarist quickly abandoned the British Pound and held Divine Shield, and the competition for currency hegemony took another turn.

Compared to the capital preservation in the economy, the political losses were deadly, with the loss of the Prusso Federation pawn to restrain behind, the British Government completely lost its ability to limit Austria.

The biggest sequela was that the Ottoman Empire was annihilated, and the situation in Europe completely escaped the control of the British Government.

Gladstone nodded, "I am well aware of this, but now we must do something to show the various Khanates in Central Asia our determination."

It’s not easy being the boss; when it’s time to step up, you have to step up. Otherwise, if you chill the hearts of your underlings, it becomes harder to cheat people later on. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Foreign Minister George reminded him, "Your Excellency Prime Minister, what the countries of Central Asia need is substantial support.

Rather than sanctioning the Russians, it would be better to arm the Central Asian Countries. Even if they are no match for the Russians, at the very least they can cause greater losses to the Russians.

Stay connected with empire

The Russian Empire is now very weak; they cannot afford large-scale losses, otherwise, they would not be probing now.

As long as the countries of Central Asia show a certain strength, I believe the Tsarist Government will make the right choice."

Although the Central Asian underlings were supported by the British Government, John Bull’s innate attribute of betraying teammates still erupted. While supporting the Central Asian Countries, they also didn’t forget to limit their growth in strength.

For instance: Inciting relations between the Central Asian Countries, intentionally making them oppose and restrain each other; discounting military training...

By doing so, there’s no worry that the underlings will grow too strong. But to expect them to stop the Russians, to defend India’s northern gate, has also become an illusion.

After a moment of silence, Gladstone said, "That seems like a very good suggestion, but how can we ensure smooth implementation?"

Gladstone paused for a moment, then added, "Have you noticed that this Central Asian conflict is very unusual, with no previous signs and too sudden an outbreak?

I have a bad feeling, as if someone is deliberately maneuvering behind the scenes, wanting to make us confront the Russians."

Politicians also rely on feelings; many times, personal feelings can be a significant factor influencing strategic decisions.

Finance Minister George Childs laughed, "I think that doesn’t matter. Whether or not someone is manipulating behind the scenes, we will eventually have to face off with the Russians over the issue in Central Asia.

If we must find a puppet master behind this, my guess is the Austrians are up to no good, only they have the strength to do so."

Foreign Minister George replied, "I think there’s no need to guess about this problem, just look at the current international situation to know.

We, along with France and Russia, are all in trouble, and the Austrians are the ones who benefit the most.

If all of these events are coincidental, then God is too kind to Austria."

Speculation aside, not to mention the absence of evidence, even if evidence was found, we would still have to do what needs to be done.

Gladstone sighed deeply and said seriously, "Send someone to investigate, even if it won’t change the outcome; getting the evidence could worsen Russian-Austrian relations.

How far have things progressed in Egypt?

If there’s no hope, we can give it up for now; it’s not the time to weaken France."

The self-contradictory plan appeared again.

On one hand, they wanted to maintain the balance in Europe, not to weaken France; on the other, they sought an opportunity to intervene in the Suez Canal, which required causing trouble in Egypt.

As for the destruction of cotton plantations and striking against competitors to create opportunities for domestic trade and industry, those were just incidental.

George shook his head, "General Jeret has already handed over the operation plans to the Rebel army, and material support has been provided.

Even if we stop now, the French will not be grateful to us; instead, we’ll miss a good opportunity."

...