Chapter 206: Felix's Journey Through Germany
The front-line defeat intensified the internal struggles within the British government. Combined with the recent political scandal, Prime Minister John Russell was forced to resign.
The Whigs lost in the new general elections. And the Peelites and Conservatives joined together to form a new cabinet, propelling George Hamilton-Gordon onto the historical stage.
With a new government came a new atmosphere. For George Hamilton-Gordon’s cabinet, the most important matter presently was the Near East War.
Retreat was impossible. This concerned Britain’s international status. This was an era dominated by two great powers, Britain and Russia and if the British government retreated at this time, it would be admitting weakness to Russia, essentially acknowledging Russia’s world dominance.
Not to mention the heavy losses in terms of interest, the psychological blow alone would be unacceptable to the British public.
As the leader of the anti-war faction, George Hamilton-Gordon understood John Russell’s difficulties. This was a war that had to be fought, no matter how great the casualties.
If the expansion of the Russians were not curbed now, the future cost to the British Empire would be even greater.
10 Downing Street
“Gentlemen, now it’s our turn to clean up this mess. The situation at the Balkan front is extremely disadvantageous to us. According to front-line reports, the Allied forces could face a disastrous defeat at any moment.
The current question is whether we should continue to open a second front or rather a third front.” Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon inquired.
It was evident that Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon’s inner thoughts were far from calm, as the few wrinkles between his brows betrayed his inner unrest.
First Lord of the Admiralty James Graham replied: “Prime Minister, from a strategic perspective, opening a second front in the Crimean Peninsula poses no problems.
Although the Russians have formidable strength, they are constrained by their domestic transportation, limiting the deployment of their forces. Due to prior preparations, the Russians can sustain both the Caucasus and Balkan front lines.
In reality, on the Balkan front, the Russians heavily rely on logistical support from Austria; otherwise, they would have been immobilized long ago.
If we open another front, it would soon exceed the Russians’ endurance limit. Even if we can’t completely win on the battlefield, we can still bleed them dry.
Now that the Russian Black Sea Fleet is no more, we can launch an attack at any time. If necessary, we can turn the entire Ukrainian coast and the Crimean Peninsula into a battlefield, greatly exhausting the Russians.”
There might have been a change of the Cabinet but there haven’t been major changes in the government’s top echelons, and those high-ranking officials related to the war effort have all retained their positions.
It was unsurprising for the First Lord of the Admiralty to support this plan. How else could they demonstrate the importance of the Navy without opening a second front?
Power struggles were everywhere, and there was no escaping them. Even though the Royal Navy had an absolute advantage and firmly suppressed the army, they occasionally needed to emerge to assert their dominance.
“Opening a second front is acceptable, but the situation on the Crimean Peninsula is somewhat complex. The climate on the island differs significantly from the mainland, and if we launch an attack hastily, non-combat casualties will be severe.
It might be better to land along the Ukrainian coast first, cut off the connection between the Crimean Peninsula and the mainland from behind, and trap the Russian forces on the island,” proposed Secretary of State for War Edward Smith-Stanley.
“Mr. Stanley, isn’t the main force for this attack the French?” inquired First Lord of the Admiralty James Graham.
……
The dispute over the attack route had turned into a struggle for dominance between the army and navy.
The British Navy was obviously much more powerful than the army. Hence the outcome of this contest over leadership was self-evident.
Paris
Napoleon III couldn’t contain himself any longer. While the military can afford to lose, politically, France cannot afford to lose, and personally, he cannot afford to lose.
Upon receiving notification from the British, the French government made a decision at the fastest speed possible. They deployed two hundred thousand troops to launch the Crimean War.
After negotiations, on February 12, 1853, England and France reached an agreement to jointly deploy three hundred thousand troops and open a second front on the Crimean Peninsula.
At this time, the major battle in the Balkan Peninsula was coming to an end. Under the relentless attacks by the Russian forces disregarding casualties, the allied forces were unable to hold onto Sliven.
Aimable Pélissier successfully shifted the blame onto the Ottomans. On the surface, it appeared that the Russians had breached the Ottoman defenses and completed the encirclement.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, on February 14, 1853, Pélissier ordered the French forces to break out. The well-prepared French army effortlessly broke through the Russian encirclement.
Their escape was smooth, leaving the Allied forces in a predicament. The Ottoman army, which was betrayed, suffered significant losses. Out of over thirty thousand troops, less than three thousand survived.
The British also tragically fell victim to this. While they were busy reorganizing their forces to restore combat capability, the Russians attacked from behind. Caught unprepared, they fled in disarray.
During the assessment of losses, Major General Oliver was so infuriated that he was speechless. Although the failure of this battle was not directly their fault, the battlefield losses were disheartening.
Needless to say, he, the commander of the expeditionary force, was demoted. He could barely be considered a division commander now. But at least he retained command over nine thousand troops, right?
The rest had naturally dispersed, and only God knows how many were killed in action, how many were captured, and how many simply went missing.
Allied General Headquarters, Constantinople
Oliver roared menacingly, “Pélissier, you bastard, you better give me a reasonable explanation, or the British Empire won’t rest until it’s settled!”
Of course, there was no possibility of letting it go. With such heavy losses for the British expeditionary force, how could they explain this back home without an explanation?
“General Oliver, calm down first. Our position was suddenly breached by the enemy, and we found ourselves surrounded; we could not notify you,” Aimable Pélissier explained forcefully.
“Rubbish! Such excuses can only fool children. Even if the Russians broke through your lines, encirclement would be impossible immediately. You had no time to send men to inform us?
If it weren’t for you treating us as distractions, the French forces wouldn’t have been able to withdraw so intact!” Major General Oliver sneered.
“We can’t be blamed for this. Your government promised fifty thousand reinforcements, which should have arrived twenty days ago. There’s still no sign of them. If this unit hadn’t been delayed, the outcome of this battle wouldn’t have been a loss.
Now that it has come to this, you also share the blame. It was the misinformation provided by your side that directly misled the military deployment of the allied forces, leading to this failure,” Aimable Pélissier sharply retorted.
……
Shifting blame was a common tactic, especially in a crisis. At a critical moment, one would naturally prioritize their own survival. Without the allied forces holding back the pursuing Russian troops, could the French have successfully withdrawn almost fully intact?
If there had been advance notice, allowing the British to escape, the Russian forces they were holding back could have flanked the French from the side, potentially resulting in the complete destruction of the French army.
Even if the French forces performed exceptionally well under such circumstances, facing enemy forces in the front and pursuers at the rear, it would have been nothing short of a miracle to successfully withdraw half of their troops.
The situation was now much better. With only over twenty thousand casualties, the French managed to retrieve their main force.
With naval support, they can now secure Constantinople. From the perspective of French interests, Aimable Pélissier’s decision was not wrong.
However, the aftermath was severe. Except for the Sardinians, who have been coasting along, the main forces of the alliance in the Balkans now only consist of the French.
The Ottoman Empire emerged as the biggest loser, losing even their underwear. Upon receiving the news, Abdulmejid I was so infuriated that he fainted.
Unfortunately for the Ottoman government, they had nowhere to vent their anger. Unlike Oliver, they didn’t have the mighty British Empire backing them up.
Now, the French have the final say in the Balkan Peninsula. If they provoke Aimable Pélissier, he might resort to violence. Can the Ottoman government really afford to step in?
Regardless of their unwillingness, they will have to take the blame. As long as the French hold onto Constantinople, the British government will have to acquiesce to this outcome.
In the world of politics, interests always weigh more heavily than the truth. Even if they got deceived and vomited blood, the Ottoman government had no choice but to continue relying on the French.
Over 70% of Ottoman fiscal revenue came from the Balkans. Most of their industry was also concentrated around Constantinople (Istanbul area).
Losing the Balkans would reduce the Ottoman Empire’s strength to a level below that of Sweden or Belgium, a consequence the Sultanate could not afford to bear.
……
Aimable Pélissier’s approach was successful militarily, but politically it brought endless troubles to the French government.
Of course, these troubles were what Napoleon III himself was willing to face. Conflicting interests causing international political troubles still influenced French interests less than outright losing on the battlefield, which would shake his rule’s foundations.
Having learned from experience, Major General Oliver was now very appreciative of his predecessor’s foresight. He was now vehemently opposed to joint action with the French.
The British government was similarly unsatisfied with the French actions, pressuring Napoleon III via political means to provide an explanation.
With the British taking the lead, the Ottoman Empire naturally joined in with their own protest. Under pressure from his allies, Napoleon III made concessions.
In the upcoming Balkan battles, French forces will independently bear the responsibility of blocking the Russians and defending Constantinople. The British and Sardinians will be responsible for dealing with Greece and Montenegro, while the Ottomans, with the heaviest losses, can take it easy as a consolation.
Regarding war funds, undoubtedly, the British will bear the lion’s share of 50%, with the French and Ottomans each contributing 25%. If there is a shortage of funds, British consortiums will provide loan services.
With a clear division of combat duties, internal allied contradictions were resolved, but it also cast a shadow over the upcoming Crimean War.
……
In a short period of just over two months, Prime Minister Felix traveled to more than twenty German states and has now arrived in Frankfurt, where the Federal Parliament is located.
After this extended period of diplomatic efforts, Prime Minister Felix has made some gains. At least several free cities have openly expressed their support for the “Holy Roman Empire.”
Nothing was surprising about this. These free cities were regions most heavily influenced by nationalist sentiments, and their governments were deeply influenced by public opinion.
As for the remaining states, they either expressed opposition or hesitation. In any case, everyone was clever, finding excuses to delay their decision. No one foolishly expressed direct opposition to German unification.
The Kingdom of Prussia had not been idle either. Their representatives often arrived ahead of Felix, engaging in early communication with various governments to jointly oppose the rebuilding of the “Holy Roman Empire.”
The situation at the top was not clear to the public, but the majority of the German population held an optimistic attitude toward peaceful unification. The reason was very simple — no state government has directly opposed it yet.
The public could freely express their opinions, but state governments of the various German states could not dare to speak recklessly. After all, they couldn’t simply say that because the “Holy Roman Empire” was unreliable, using military force was the only way to truly unify Germany, right?
Austria had been preparing for so long, and even Franz did not dare to raise the banner of military unification. As for the governments of these small states, it was naturally the same.
As the targets of unification, they were still scrambling to oppose this, so how could they possibly support it? Moreover, to safeguard their own interests, they could not completely block the path of rebuilding the Holy Roman Empire.
In case unification was inevitable, rebuilding the Holy Roman Empire was the path most aligned with their interests. Therefore, the attitudes of most rulers of the German states were quite complex.
They want to oppose the rebuilding of the Holy Roman Empire but cannot directly express it. They could only hope that someone would step forward and disrupt Austria’s plans.
By now, the slogan “Rebuild the Holy Roman Empire” had echoed in every corner of Germany. Wherever Felix went, he was warmly welcomed by the local population.
If things continue like this, Felix would very likely be remembered by future generations as the “Father of Germany,” and his reputation as the “Butcher” would fade away.
At this moment, he had become the spokesperson for pacifism, and in the future, he might even become the Iron Chancellor. Anyway, Franz was not going to steal the limelight.
Fooling others was no easy task, especially a group of old foxes. Felix continuously promised all kinds of benefits after unification to the various interest groups, while also having to answer everyone’s doubts from time to time.
Touting the benefits of a grand market to capitalists, guaranteeing the nobility’s interests would not be harmed, selling nationalist groups dreams of a powerful country...
In short, it was all a bluff. Regardless of whether they believed him or if he could fulfill these promises, Prime Minister Felix wantonly bluffed all the way.
To quote a saying: “Every politician is an excellent salesman.”
Despite bluffing until his mouth went dry, the actual effects merely reduced everyone’s determination to resist.
Most still chose to remain neutral. They could accept rebuilding the Holy Roman Empire, but contributing their efforts to this was out of the question.
Everyone was playing the waiting game; they wouldn’t commit until they saw the benefits.
Felix was quite satisfied with this outcome. Originally, he only wanted them to stay neutral, and now, being able to obtain a few supporters, he considered this a win.
The focus of this PR campaign was Southern Germany, where Austria’s influence was the greatest, and there were many shared interests. Winning these people over was his true aim.
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