Holy Roman Empire

The Prusso-Russian War has progressed to this point, and the post-war international situation in Europe is bound to undergo earth-shattering changes. The Vienna Government, as the flag-bearer, naturally wants to guide the situation to develop in a direction that is favorable to itself.

Reeling in his stray thoughts, Franz slowly said, "The Berlin Government is desperate. The situation in the Prusso Federation might be worse than what we understand.

"Given the current development of the situation, the possibility of the Prusso Federation turning the tables is already very small. We can start preparing for the aftermath.

"This time, it’s not only about striking down competitors and recouping our earlier investments; we also aim to take the largest share of the spoils."

The Prusso-Russian War is not just as simple as it appears on the surface. The Vienna Government has invested so much effort, and it is not just for the Russians to win the war.

The Tsarist Government’s credibility is well known, and without a generous return, why would Franz support them?

Russian-Austrian friendship can at best deceive the common man. Anyone with a bit of common sense knows it’s unreliable.

Perhaps before the Prusso-Russian War, the friendship between Russia and Austria was indeed long-standing, but after the war, the two countries will transition from allies to competitors.

Of course, the Tsarist Government has paid a heavy price in this war, accumulating huge debts, and it will not be able to recover for decades, lacking the capital to turn against Austria in the short term.

In the foreseeable future, Russian-Austrian friendship will remain the theme of both countries’ foreign diplomacy until one side no longer needs it.

The reason Franz willingly invested heavily was not naturally because of the collateral offered by the Russians. In fact, demanding territory as collateral was only meant to put Alexander II at ease so he could confidently seek revenge against the Prusso Federation.

Regardless of how fertile the Ukrainian Region’s land is, it would only fall into Austria’s hands under the condition of Russian defeat and default.

If the Tsarist Government wins the war, Austria will merely earn a profit from loan interests and a bit of war wealth—the earnings completely disproportionate to the risk. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Using debt default to strike at the British can be considered one objective; utilizing post-war production surplus to suppress the French manufacturing industry is also one of the goals; however, what truly compelled the Vienna Government to invest heavily was to devour the inheritance left by the defeated Prusso Federation.

It’s not the land, as the territory of the Prusso Federation, though not scant, is not enough to tempt Franz.

Moreover, considering the Russians have paid a blood price of over a million casualties for this war, it’s impossible to let them labor in vain, right?

If Austria naively moves to take over the territory of the Prusso Federation, not much meat will be consumed, but instead, it will have the burdensome task of guarding Europe’s eastern gateway, leading to a relentless struggle with the Russians.

The establishment of a Central European Empire is indeed tempting, yet the price to be paid is also incredibly steep. Austria already has a very precarious strategic position, further extending its territory to the Baltic Sea would mean endless troubles.

In Franz’s view, the greatest legacy left by the Prusso Federation isn’t the land but the people on it, most notably the rich-in-combat-experience military officers.

After the demise of the Prusso Federation, only Russia and Austria are qualified to inherit this legacy.

Without a doubt, following a hard-fought battle between Prussia and Russia, the seeds of hatred have been sown, and the Junker nobles wouldn’t immediately defect even if they lacked scruples.

Moreover, even if they are willing to switch sides, there must also be a willingness from the others to accept them.

Not to mention that the Russian military would not welcome Junker aristocracy; even the Austrian military wouldn’t welcome them, as no one wishes to add another group competing for their food.

Franz wishes to harness these people for his own use, but he would not directly recruit them, as there aren’t so many placements in the Austrian army to accommodate them.

Apart from a few generals who would enter military academies and teach war experience, most Junker aristocracy would need to return to farming and become part of the Austrian military’s reserve officers.

If a great war breaks out on the European Continent, they will have their chance to shine; otherwise, they can only perish in the fields.

It is the instinct of an emperor; there is no doubt about the military aptitude of Junker aristocracy, and Franz must keep it in his grasp. Even if he doesn’t use it, he cannot give it to others.

After the Russians win the war, they would have to reward their own people and settle them locally, which inevitably involves purging these beneficiaries.

Not only the Junker aristocracy, but even the ordinary people, I’m afraid, are going to be unlucky. In fact, they have no choice but to face misfortune; if the Russians don’t confiscate their assets, with what will they repay Austria’s debts?

The loan between Russia and Austria comes with a secret agreement, not just involving land exchange but also population debt redemption as one of the covertly agreed-upon terms.

This satisfies the needs of both parties; the Tsarist Government can clear up unstable elements in the locality, whereas Austria obtains a workforce for developing colonies.

Of course, there are restrictions on the agreement. Austria is not a rag-picker; the Vienna Government will not take just anyone. After the war, under the guise of rescuing Germanic brethren, the Vienna Government will buy these ethnic prisoners of war from the Russians and incidentally take their soldier’s families with them.

Franz was not afraid of competition; nationalism had already risen. Aside from his role as the Shinra Emperor, lifting the banner to unify Greater Germany, he could subjugate them with the grand cause of the nation. Other countries did not have this advantage.

Disperse these people in the colonies, and Austria could digest them quickly. If they fell into the hands of England and France, they would likely hesitate to send these people to the colonies.

The defeated troops are only relatively so; their combat effectiveness is not poor, and it would definitely be outstanding in the colonies.

If they entered the British and French colonies, the differences in cultural traditions would make it impossible for them to assimilate in the short term. They would be unequivocally unstable elements, and the kind that could ignite conflict at any moment.

Prime Minister Felix said, "Your Majesty, the British are currently the biggest problem, as they may stir up other European countries to interfere in this war.

The fate of the Prusso Federation has nothing to do with us, but the Kingdom of Prussia is one of the German Confederation states, even though they have declared their withdrawal.

As the leader of the German people, on this issue, we cannot completely lean toward the Russians. Publicly, we must still make a show of trying to protect Prussia, to give an explanation to society and the outside world.

If the Tsarist Government cannot withstand the pressure and lets go of the Kingdom of Prussia, our plans may be difficult to continue."

Nationalism is a double-edged sword. Since Austria has enjoyed the benefits of nationalism, it must bear the obligations that come with it.

For example: unifying the Germany Region, maintaining the territorial integrity of the Germany Region, combating separatism...

Without a doubt, the Vienna Government will certainly intervene. Not to save the entire Kingdom of Prussia, but at least to preserve the territories of the German areas under Prussia.

After some consideration, Franz shook his head: "Don’t worry. Poland and the Lithuanian Region have been internationally recognized as Russian territories. As the victor, the Tsarist Government will definitely be able to take them back.

Even if the Kingdom of Prussia is saved, they will still be severely weakened. Huge debts, war indemnities, and a weary domestic economy—all these factors combined are not so easily overcome.

To rise again, they would need the international situation to allow it. The Russians won’t stop oppressing them, and we won’t give them that opportunity."

For Austria, the size of the Kingdom of Prussia is still too large, so much so that Austria fears choking on absorbing them.

Without breaking up the Kingdom of Prussia, the path to German unification will always be an unfounded dream. The New Shinra Empire that Franz established does not need powerful sub-states; the existence of the Kingdom of Prussia would weaken the authority of the Central Government.

While it’s easy to talk about breaking them apart, the operation is very complicated. Such a resentful task should not be undertaken by Austria. Otherwise, even if unification is achieved in the future, the Prussian people would become alienated from the Central Government.

In this context, Franz chose to let the Russians be that knife. Given the strategic considerations, it was not surprising to support the Russians in the Prusso-Russian war.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg said, "Your Majesty, if the Prusso Federation is defeated, the future of the European Continent will be dominated by the four great powers of England, France, Austria, and Russia.

Geographically, we occupy the heart of the European Continent, naturally the most favorable contender for the hegemony of Europe.

Whether we like it or not, in the future we will have to get involved in European conflicts. In recent years, our strength has grown rapidly, causing many to feel uneasy.

As times evolve, international conflicts will gradually increase. Following the trend of interests, the possibility of the French-Russian countries coming together is very high.

Theoretically, we could also ally with the British to counter the French-Russian Alliance, but this is the worst choice."

It is not just possible, but very likely. In the original timeline, both French and Russian countries joined forces, while the Anglo-German alliance turned out to be an illusion.

Did the Russians really lean towards the French because of loans? Before his transmigration, Franz thought so, but now he no longer believed it.

In the original timeline, the French-Russian rapprochement was essentially due to strategic needs; the German Empire was too strong, posing a threat to them, so they had to band together for warmth. Loans were just a catalyst, not the decisive factor.

Although the international situation has changed now, Austria’s strength can also alert France and Russia.

The French-Russian countries have not yet come together, simply because the relations between Russia and Austria are friendly for now, and the French are still basking in the glory of the Napoleonic Era, not fully aware of the Austrian threat.

Franz nodded in satisfaction, seeing that Austria’s Foreign Ministry had matured, not dwelling on past successes but possessing a sober self-awareness, was evidence that they clearly understood the potential threats of the post-war international structure to Austria.

"This is indeed a significant threat, but it concerns the future. We still have time to arrange our strategies, to completely weaken their powers before our competitors realize.

The most important thing at the moment is the Prusso-Russian war, to take over the legacy left by the Prusso Federation and enhance our potential strength."

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