Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 346: Joint Defense Treaty

As the intervention coalition was being secretly formed, the American Civil War continued unabated. If the warring factions knew that whoever emerged victorious would face pressure from the four major powers, its doubtful that they would be as enthusiastic about the conflict.

Of course, this was just speculation. At this stage of the war, both the North and the South had no choice but to continue fighting.

Looking at it from another perspective, with the backing of the four major powers, even if one side lost, they wouldnt lose everything, which probably kept their morale relatively stable.

At the outset of the war, all nations supported the Southern government. However, as the Southern government gained the upper hand, suddenly everyone was selling weapons to the Northern government.

It was this delicate balancing act between the North and the South that allowed the war to continue until now. Otherwise, if the four nations had fully supported one side, the outcome might have been decided within the first year.

With a patchwork of efforts, the English, French, Austrian, and Spanish amassed over a hundred warships and 260,000 troops. No one would believe this was made without prior preparations.

These are just the mobile forces, not the entirety of the four nations strength in the Americas.

If they really went all out, not to mention the well-established powers like Britain, France, and Spain, even Austria, which has only recently established itself in the region, could muster hundreds of thousands of troops.

Universal military service in the colonies is the reason these major European colonial empires were able to develop and expand. Otherwise, relying solely on the government troops to defend the colonies, the British would be in dire straits.

With only a standing army of a few hundred thousand, how could the British Empire defend its 30 million square kilometers of territory?

Including the 80,000 troops Britain deployed this time, most of them came from the Canadian colonies. The cost of mobilizing domestic troops would have been too high.

Upon receiving news of the intervention alliances establishment, Franz in Vienna canceled plans to mobilize troops from Africa and Southeast Asia.

The strength of the intervention alliance is already sufficient to overturn the balance of power between the warring sides. After all, regardless of who wins, neither can eliminate the other swiftly.

With four major powers cheering on the loser, the opportunity to turn the tables is right in front of them. No matter what, they wont simply concede!

Historically, the rapid collapse of the Confederacy in the later stages was mainly due to the absence of the anticipated intervention forces. Without seeing any hope of victory, they surrendered to the Union.

This point is evidenced by the fact that the Southern governments top leadership faced no repercussions after the war, which indicates the role they played in the latter stages of the conflict.

Do not assume that after years of civil war, the elite troops of the North and South became formidable forces.

In reality, this elite status is relative. While there has been significant progress compared to before the outbreak of the war, on a global scale, the US military is still not formidable enough.

Unfortunately, the losses in the war have been too great, and soldiers are being replaced one after another. There has always been a shortage of junior officers, and with the rapid rate of losses, there is no time to train new ones.

The issue of unqualified junior officers and an influx of new recruits is a common problem faced by both the North and the South. Initially, the Southern government had the advantage in terms of military strength, but that advantage gradually diminished throughout the war.

At this point, it doesnt matter who wins or loses between the North and the South. In any case, neither side will emerge as a true victor.

Franz considered and said, Send an order to Governor Hmmel to accelerate organizing immigration from the United States as quickly as possible. It wont be as easy once the war ends.

Yes, Your Majesty! replied Colonial Minister Josip Jelai.

The endeavor to lure immigrants away from America is not exclusive to Austria; Britain, France, and Spain are also enticing immigrants, although perhaps not with as much intensity.

Before the enactment of the Homestead Act, Austrias efforts to lure immigrants were almost always successful. The main reasons limiting the speed of immigration at that time were a shortage of ships and the time needed for settlement.

During this era, with vast expanses of land and sparse populations in the Americas, colonial empires who knew better followed suit in attracting immigrants.

After Lincoln issued the Homestead Act, many people hesitated. Since they could obtain land by staying in America, why take the risk of going elsewhere?

Even if they were required to serve in the military, they could have someone else take their place, right? Many labor companies offered services for replacing soldiers, for a fee of just two hundred dollars, sparing individuals from personally having to go to the battlefield.

By this stage of the Civil War, there were already over 500,000 Black soldiers on the battlefields, as both North and South organized massive Black military units.

Of course, the poor who couldnt afford substitutes were still the main force of immigration. Not only can they not afford to hire someone to take their place in military service, but they also lack the funds to develop land.

After all, farming required money. Without money, one cant even afford seeds, but Austria at least provides interest-free loan services.

If someone were to tally the numbers, they would find that paying to hire replacements for military service had quickly become mainstream since 1864. In some states, the number of Black soldiers among newly enlisted troops has already surpassed that of white soldiers.

If in a certain battle, its observed that both sides mainly consist of Black soldiers, theres no need to panic; this is simply normal.

The extensive organization of Black soldiers by state governments is not without reason. The biggest advantage is that they can sign employment contracts with labor companies, sparing themselves the headache of conscription and the worry of heavy casualties, while also avoiding causing unrest among constituents.

Since they are elected by the people, governors and legislators, faced with the harsh reality of casualties, are reluctant to enforce conscription and cant force the populace to serve unless they want to lose votes.

As good governors and legislators serving the people, they could turn a blind eye. And if they still fell short of the numbers needed, state governments could simply hire from labor companies.

Both the Union government and the Confederate government have limited authority. When states are willing to muster enough troops, its already giving face to the central government. If they still want to be picky, believe it or not, everyone will resort to nonviolent non-cooperation.

For reference, during the cruelest times of the American Civil War, prisons in various states were already empty. To muster enough troops, officials were willing to go to great lengths.

Foreign Minister Wessenberg spoke up: Your Majesty, according to the intelligence weve received, European countries are all planning to colonize the African continent. Napoleon III is preparing to convene an international conference to partition Africa.

The partition of Africa was happening ahead of schedule. This was not good news for Austria. Before this, only France and Austria were focusing on Africa.

Moreover, with France expanding its colonization along North Africa, separated by deserts, conflicts between France and Austria on the African continent had been minimal.

But if an international conference were convened, attracting countries from around the world, Austria would no longer be able to quietly amass wealth.

Franz asked doubtfully, Do you know Frances intent behind this?

Due to historical factors, the African continent has always been dubbed the Dark Continent, and European countries have not attached much importance to it, considering it as a wild and uncivilized land.

If there were better options available, Franz would also prefer not to colonize Africa. Unfortunately, the world has already been partitioned, leaving only this last continent.

Currently, France and Austria are the countries with the largest investment and greatest gains in Africa.

Convening an international conference now, tearing the veil, and attracting European countries to the African continent, is clearly not in the interest of the French.

No one wished to see more parties vying for the same pie. If France and Austria tacitly cooperate and exclude competitors, it is not impossible for them to divide the African continent between themselves.

Wessenberg analyzed: We cannot be certain yet. The Foreign Ministry speculates this may relate to the Italian issue.

After annexing the Kingdom of Sardinia, the French have had a hard time internationally, and all countries have increased their vigilance against them.

Now, by bringing up the African continent, its highly likely that the French government wants to shift everyones diplomatic attention and reduce their wariness against them.

This is the aftermath of being too aggressive. Napoleon III merely annexed a small kingdom like Sardinia, yet it caused unease in the international community, a greater impact than Franzs resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire.

One wonders if Napoleon should feel proud or distraught. Being watched so closely makes everything difficult!

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The Anti-French Alliance has always been a sword hanging over their heads. Once they cross the line, this alliance, which has long been dissolved, could revive at any moment.

Just look at the neighbors reactions, and it will all make sense.

Spain has deployed 100,000 troops on their mutual border, which is 60% of their domestic force.

Belgium has deployed 30,000 troops to guard against the French, which is nearly 70% of their total national force as if theyre already prepared for a French invasion.

As a neutral country, Switzerland also has a large number of reserves stationed on its border with France, without even as much vigilance against their archenemy, the Habsburg monarchy.

The Kingdom of Prussia has deployed 120,000 troops in the Rhineland, with about 150,000 reservists ready locally, more than the combined forces on the Russian and Austrian borders.

Austria has deployed 100,000 troops in Lombardy and 50,000 troops in Wrttemberg, with the combined militia reserves of these two kingdoms exceeding 500,000.

Because the German Federal Empires armies belonged to the governments of the various states, the federal government lacked the authority to mobilize troops, so only the border states had troops stationed on the French border. However, they have signed a joint defense treaty with Austria, Belgium, Prussia, and Spain. Once the French invade, everyone will join forces to fight them.

Reportedly, even Switzerland intended to join this joint defense treaty, only hesitating over concerns of losing its neutrality.

Seeing this situation, its evident how tough the French have it. Their neighbors are all guarding against them like theyre bandits. How far are they truly from facing an anti-French alliance?

All of this was the lingering impact of Frances annexation of Sardinia, with surrounding nations forming a solid wall to deprive France of any path for further expansion.

And undoubtedly, the mastermind behind the establishment of this alliance is the British. As the troublemaker of Europe, how could they not stir things up?

Originally, Franz wasnt planning to join. With Austrias strength, even without uniting with other countries for defense, they wouldnt fear the French.

Later, considering the possibility of Napoleon III acting irrationally, it would be beneficial to have a few more allies to share the pressure in case things escalate.

The British not only initiated a joint defense treaty against the French but also extended the same treatment to Austria. However, the contracting parties were limited to Prussia and the German Federal Empire.

Linking the European powers in joint defense was Britains way to restrict the expansion of France, Austria, and Russia.

However, due to the Russo-Autrian alliance, the two escaped this constraint, leaving France to uniquely enjoy this treatment of being encircled by wary neighbors.

Disbanding this alliance wouldnt be easy. Everyone is focused on defense, without any plans for aggression. Any rash action could potentially provoke a strong reaction and lead to unpredictable consequences.

Franz asked uncertainly, Are you suggesting that the French are planning to use the interests in Africa to provoke conflicts among the various countries and thus break through the encirclement?

Foreign Minister Wessenberg responded, No, I believe the French are just sending us a signal. The interests in Africa are so significant that I dont think the French would easily give them up.

Moreover, there arent many powerful countries among the contracting parties of the joint defense treaty that are capable of carving up Africa. Even if there are conflicts of interest in the colonial issue, they are insignificant compared to the security of our homelands.

While the encirclement of this joint defense looks formidable, in reality, if we withdraw, the remaining countries cannot threaten the French even if they unite.

Instead of exerting great efforts to deal with the surrounding countries, it would be easier for them if we simply withdrew, and the French must know this too.

By releasing this signal now, they likely intend for us to proactively approach and negotiate these issues.

This was a gambit. The French are betting that the Austrian government cannot abandon its interests in the African continent.

Despite Austrias rapid expansion in Africa, it still only occupies a small portion relative to the entire continent, controlling less than one-fifth of Africas actual territory.

This was very much like Napoleon III. Having advanced this far, he has not shied away from gambles.

In the current situation, this kind of sure-win gamble isnt much. Austria indeed cannot afford to relinquish its interests in Africa. It doesnt require much; with just another five years, Franz can complete Austrias strategic layout in Africa.

In that case, the Foreign Ministry will initiate contact with the French. As long as the interests are suitable, there is nothing we cant negotiate, calmly stated Franz. He was not a sore loser. Besides, Austria is not a loser yet. As long as the desired interests are obtained, the process is not important.

The joint partitioning of Africa by France and Austria is also a good choice. As for the joint defense treaty, its effectiveness depends on interests. If necessary, it can be canceled when the time comes.