Chapter 503: Chapter 76, Everyone is Acting
 

The negotiations between England and Russia were no secret; Franz in distant Vienna received the news, and even the content of the discussions had been largely restored.

Everyone understands the principle of holding out for a better price. The Russians intentionally leaked the information, clearly waiting for Austria to make an offer.

It doesn’t have to be higher than the British offer, just close enough, and the Tsarist Government would definitely choose to stand with Austria.

It’s determined by interests; the value of the Russian-Austrian Alliance is much greater than that of a British-Russian alliance, and besides, the British are not going to form an alliance with them.

Open a map and you’ll see, the long border between Russia and Austria, there’s simply not enough natural barriers to serve as a line of defense. Without the alliance, just the pressure of national defense alone would be a headache.

Especially for the already exhausted Tsarist Government, the situation is even more serious. If they were to fall out with Austria, it would mean that every country bordering them is an enemy, or potential enemy.

When the Russian Empire was strong, it engaged in campaigns east and west, establishing a formidable reputation, but now showing signs of fatigue, it’s become a tiger surrounded by a pack of wolves.

The previous Prusso-Russian War already informed the Tsarist Government just how many enemies they had. If they were to lose a second Prusso-Russian War, then the Nordic Federation would also be poised to carve out a piece for themselves.

The collusion between the Finnish and the Swedes is no secret. When the Russian Empire was strong, the Swedes were very subdued, but as the Prusso-Russian War was lost, Charles XV even dared to publicly meet with leaders of the Finnish independence movement.

Of course, such potential threats do not scare the Russians. It might be difficult for them to strike out of their situation, but defending their current position is not really a problem.

While the number of enemies is large, few are willing to expend effort. Aside from the Kingdom of Prussia, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Ottoman Empire, which harbor deep-seated enmity with no chance of reconciliation, the rest of the enemies would only kick them while they’re down.

The Tsarist Government is now desperate for money, aside from their domestic market which they can use as a bargaining chip, they no longer have any other cards to play, and naturally want to sell at the best price.

Originally, they wanted to incite a bidding competition among England, France, and Austria, but unfortunately, the French are busy and not willing to participate.

…

Putting down the tea cup in his hand, Franz asked with a somber face, “The Russians have laid out their chips, do you think we should compete with the British?”

It was clear his mood was very bad. The Tsarist Government making a move at this time was a direct hit to Austria’s vulnerabilities.

The gold from South Africa had not yet been mined, and in the battle for currency hegemony, the Divine Shield – Gold System was already at a disadvantage; if the Tsarist Government now leaned towards the British, one might as well declare the British Pound – Gold System victorious.

Prime Minister Felix, livid with anger, replied, “Your Majesty, we cannot let the Russians get away with this extortion. We need to give them a profound lesson.”

Austria had also paid a significant price to attract the Russians into the Divine Shield – Gold System. After reaping benefits, for them to pull such a stunt at the last minute is considered betrayal in the eyes of Prime Minister Felix.

Franz nodded, not even waiting for others to speak, and decisively said, “The Foreign Ministry should remind the Russians that the Russian-Austrian Alliance is about to expire, and their actions are very disheartening!”

Making a bid was out of the question—how could the same item be sold twice? The Tsarist Government’s money troubles were not Franz’s concern.

No matter the reasons, any violation of the agreement, even a verbal one, is betrayal.

Pausing for a moment, Franz then said, “Forget it, there’s no need to be disagreeable at this time. Send an invitation to the Prussians; Wilhelm I knows what to do.”

Verbal threats, how could they be as effective as actual action? If the Russians dare to lean towards the British, he will support Prussia in the next Prusso-Russian War.

Although the Berlin Government can’t put forward any bargaining chips, the pie they have drawn is big enough!

Unless Alexander II can flatten the Prussians before the Russian-Austrian Alliance expires, Franz would have nothing to say; he isn’t one to break faith and honor, and Austria will certainly remain neutral.

If the Russian-Austrian Alliance dissolved and a Prusso-Russian War broke out again, then don’t blame him for kicking them while they’re down. Not to mention, simply severing Russo-Austrian trade would be enough to cripple the Russians.

If that’s still not enough, then allowing the Prussian Navy into the Aegean Sea to join forces with the Ottoman Imperial Navy and blockade the Russians’ trade access to the Mediterranean would also be a good option.

Kicking someone when they’re down is something many people know how to do. If the Nordic Federation doesn’t know to close the gates of the Baltic Sea, then Franz would have to look down on them.

Cutting off two lifelines, the Tsarist Government can’t possibly import strategic materials for warfare from the Far Eastern region, can they?

The Siberian Railway has not even started construction; even if work began immediately, it would still take more than a decade.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg analyzed, “Your Majesty, we don’t need to be so proactive. The Prussians should be more anxious than we are, and before long they’ll come to us on their own.

With England and Russia drawing closer, it’s uncertain whether their big brother will support them in the next war.

If the Prussians can’t sabotage the Anglo-Russian deal, then they can only turn to us. Relatively speaking, we hold the most sway in the Eastern European region.”

…

Every politician is a qualified actor; when the Russians tested the waters with their currency system, Franz naturally had to play along.

There, the Vienna Government’s bigwigs put on a great show for the Russians, showing them exactly what they wanted to see.

Before long, the content of this meeting would pass through secret channels onto Alexander II’s desk, then it would be his turn to worry.

Real and fake intertwined, even Franz himself was not clear if the contents of this meeting would become reality.

The only thing that was certain was that Franz was feigning “anger.” Having been the Emperor for so many years, he had learned not to let emotions betray his composure. How could he possibly reveal them?

Besides, everyone had their own stance. Considering it from the Russians’ perspective, their approach was not wrong.

Franz had often engaged in backstabbing his allies, and being betrayed by them was nothing new. If this were cause for anger, Franz would have died of rage long ago.

If he were truly angry, Franz would not be holding meetings. He would take direct action for revenge, such as: nurturing a pirate fleet in the Aegean Sea to block the Russians’ way.

Or perhaps he would sponsor a sum of money to the Russian Revolutionary Party, causing trouble for the Tsarist Government.

In comparison, supporting the Kingdom of Prussia was completely inferior. If Russia were to fall, only to see the rise of Prussia, wouldn’t all the efforts be in vain?

The act was to “repair the plank road by day while sneaking through Chen Cang at night.” After preparing for so long, Austria was ready to take action.

It wouldn’t be long before the strategic value of the Persian Gulf came into play, and Franz naturally wanted to get involved. Anyway, he could not let the British dominate the region.

If it weren’t for its proximity to the Indian region and close British scrutiny, Franz would have acted long ago.

If not now, when an alliance was formed with the three countries, to extend his reach to the Strait of Hormuz by taking action against Oman?

After Austria struck the British stealthily in the South African region, the London Government wooed Russia to join a free trade system, undermining Austria’s influence. Franz took the opportunity to extend his reach into the Persian Gulf, closely watched by the British; everyone was employing their means.

The Russians could probably never have imagined that from the start, Franz had been preparing to sell them out to the British.

There was no choice; after seizing vast tracts of land in British-South Africa and now aiming for the British-claimed Persian Gulf, it was necessary to appease the British sentiments.

Currency hegemony was not easy to establish, especially in the gold standard era. If the British did not have enough gold in hand, could the British Pound – Gold System still function?

Given this, it was better to let the British be happy for a few days. Use the aura of victory to mask their failures in overseas colonial expansion.

As for the Russians, it was regrettable that with the growing conflicts of interest between the two nations, this alliance was already difficult to maintain, beyond the capacity of any individual to save.

Unless the Russian Empire continued to decline, then perhaps everyone could become friends again. Evidently, that was impossible—Alexander II’s reforms had already posed a threat to Franz.

In these reforms, Alexander II imitated Austria in many ways. Compared to the original timeline, this social reform was much more thorough.

Not only did he liberate the serfs, but Alexander II also resolved land conflicts, and even the pace of industrial development was swift.

Since the end of the civil war, the Russian Empire had entered a period of rapid industrial and commercial growth. Although the industrial products were as shoddy as ever, the increase in production capacity was still astonishing.

The industrial capacity lost in the Russo-Prussian War had been restored in just a few years, surpassing the pre-war total.

If not for the limitations of transportation and the lack of capital, Russia would have already transformed itself. Once either of these issues was resolved, it would enter a period of rapid development.

They already had the basic elements for industrial growth: abundant resources, cheap labor costs, and appropriate development policies.

After a massive clearing of land, Russian grain sales slowed, domestic grain prices dropped repeatedly, leading to a significant decrease in labor costs.

Russian labor costs were only a quarter of Austria’s and a fifth of the British’s. For labor-intensive industries, it was an unparalleled advantage.

Not only was labor cheap, but industrial raw materials were also very inexpensive. The only high expense was transportation costs, but not everywhere in the Russian Empire, which also had rivers.

These advantages were bound to be seen by capitalists sooner or later. As long as the Tsarist Government could maintain its current governance levels, development was just a matter of time.

This was the merit of Alexander II; by “killing the chicken to scare the monkey,” he successfully deterred Russian bureaucrats. Up to now, he had already exiled thousands of officials to Siberia to enjoy the northern scenery.

The corruption within the Tsarist Government was still severe, but its capacity to execute had increased by several notches, and no one dared to defy the Tsar’s orders openly anymore.

The more Franz knew, the clearer he became about the terror of the Russian Empire. Perhaps Austria no longer feared the rise of Russia, but there was no need to foster another competitor.

Therefore, when the Russians showed their moodiness, Franz did not appease them any longer. Wanting to reap benefits through such tactics was a miscalculation by the Tsarist Government from the start.

Even with the currency reforms conducted by Alexander II, Franz was no longer proactive. Despite the substantial benefits of getting involved, the greatest gain would still fall to the Russians.

Since the Tsarist Government wanted to use this as a bargaining chip, it was best to drag things out. Even if the Tsarist Government leaned towards the British, it did not matter.

The British were not charitable; if the bankers in London did not fleece them, could they still claim to be bankers?

To avoid gaining a reputation for treachery, Franz was willing to let go of that piece of the pie. After all, the Tsarist Government’s credibility was already tarnished, and letting them bear the stigma of breaking the alliance was not too great a concern.

…