Chapter 246: Each Takes What They Need (Bonus Chapter)
“There’s another dead body over here!”
“Quickly, remove the body and arrange for its cremation as soon as possible!”
……
Amidst the shouts, there was a sense of numbness and despair. With a large number of people dying every day, everyone had become desensitized to death.
Unlike previous deaths of the wounded, this time it was a plague, a contagion that even the medical staff couldn’t escape. Even a French army major general had succumbed to the disease and ended up in the crematorium.
Safety measures? Unfortunately, the protective measures of the time were very primitive, and even basic disinfection could not be achieved.
In the corners of the quarantine areas, the moans of the sick could be heard occasionally. This place had become a dreaded no man’s land, and the medical personnel would only hurriedly distribute some medicine before quickly leaving.
Checking for symptoms? That was non-existent. How many doctors were there in the French army?
Moreover, there was no specific cure for the plague. The medicines being used were more for psychological comfort than actual treatment.
The soldiers in charge of distributing the food were even more averse to the place. They would leave food at the door, shout a message, and then quickly leave.
“Adolf, can you still hold on?”
“Yes. Thank you, Alfonso. I feel much better, I think I can make it through this time.”
“Rest well, if you make it through, everything will be fine.”
Alfonso had such conversations many times every day. As one of the earliest plague victims, Alfonso was fortunate to have survived.
According to tradition, having survived a wave of the plague, it was unlikely that God would call him again soon. Therefore, he had no choice but to stay and act as a caregiver.
As per the doctor’s advice, he needed to stay in the hospital for continued observation and treatment, to ensure nothing went wrong before he could be discharged.
In reality, Alfonso was asked to stay to do the hard work, such as caring for the sick, distributing food, and dealing with the dead. These dreaded tasks fell to him.
Alfonso, enticed by the offer of extra pay, readily accepted this daunting task.
He was a veteran soldier, one of the very first French soldiers to enter the Balkans. Half of his comrades who came with him had already been killed.
To a seasoned soldier like him, death was no longer a fear. Casualties were a daily occurrence on the battlefield, and scenes of bloodshed were common.
He found it much easier to help here than to fight on the battlefield. His daily duties included caring for just over thirty patients, after which he had his own time.
After spending an extended period there, Alfonso realized that the situation was not as horrific as it was perceived from the outside. In the month he had been there, only five had died, while seven had recovered.
……
At the French military headquarters in Constantinople, Ambroise brought some bad news.
“Commander, the Russian offensive has sabotaged our epidemic prevention efforts. The spread of the plague is now inevitable!”
This news did not surprise the French commander, Pélissier. He had anticipated that the Russians would not miss this opportunity given the outbreak of the plague.
Besides the French troops, there were civilians in Constantinople. The Ottoman Empire was their ally, and Pélissier could not possibly expel all of Constantinople’s inhabitants from the city.
The denser the population, the more challenging it was to control the plague. The Russian offensive only exacerbated the situation.
Pélissier asked calmly, “What is the situation with the plague in the city?”
Ambroise spoke with a hint of sorrow, “This epidemic might have originated from the recent cholera outbreak in London. There’s also an outbreak in the Crimean Peninsula, and the symptoms are quite similar to ours.
However, it’s peculiar that the plague in Constantinople is highly contagious, far more so than in other areas. We initially suspect that it is transmitted through mosquitoes, flies, and such insects.
The mortality rate is average for a plague. Most young and strong individuals can survive it, with the mortality rate not exceeding 15%. However, the mortality rate is much higher among the elderly and the weak.
The worst cases are among the wounded. Once infected with the plague, they almost always face certain death.”
Pélissier could only curse the British in his mind. The cholera outbreak in London was not serious and was quickly controlled without widespread transmission. Ironically, it was they who suffered the consequences.
……
London
Foreign Secretary Thomas spoke gravely, “Prime Minister, we have just received news that the French forces in Constantinople have failed to control the plague, which is now beginning to spread.
Last night, Napoleon III met secretly with the Austrian Ambassador in France at the Palace of Versailles for over two hours.
The analysis from our Foreign Office suggests that this clandestine meeting might be related to the Near East War. The turn of events in Constantinople diminished French confidence in this war.
The French government might unilaterally seek to end the war with Russia. Now, they are using the Austrians to send signals of negotiation to Russia.
According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, the Austrian Envoy in London has also been very active recently, frequently contacting leaders of the peace faction domestically. It seems that the Austrian government is interested in mediating this conflict.”
After pondering for a moment, George Hamilton-Gordon asked, “It’s not surprising that the French are interested in ending the war. What reasons does the Foreign Office have for believing that the Austrians want to mediate the conflict? From a standpoint of interest, the longer this war lasts, the more beneficial it is for Austria.”
International political interests are always the decisive factor. The continuation of the Near East War not only depletes the strength of Britain, France, and Russia but also allows Austria to profit immensely from the war.
From the perspective of interests, it doesn’t make sense for the Austrian government to allow the three countries to end this war prematurely.
Thomas confidently replied, “The Austrians do not want us to truly determine a winner. Although the Vienna System has collapsed, the Austrian government has not given up on the European balance of power strategy.
Whether Russia wins or we do, Austria’s position of neutrality will no longer exist, and a new round of international conflict will inevitably erupt.
While the continuation of the Near East War aligns with Austria’s interests, the eventual outcome is unpredictable.
In this Near East War, Austria has already gained a lot. They now urgently need to assimilate these benefits. Metternich’s style has always been to seek stability, so it’s normal for them to cash in now while things are looking good.”
Prime Minister George nodded, acknowledging that compared to national strategy, minor economic gains were insignificant. Sandwiched between France and Russia, the Austrian government had no choice but to pursue a policy of continental balance.
“What are your plans?” asked Prime Minister George.
Thomas replied, “Prime Minister, the Near East War has reached this point, and our plan to contain Russia has failed. Continuing the fight will only increase casualties without any real significance.
Our advantage lies at sea. Going onto land to desperately fight against Russia is something only our idiotic predecessors would do.
Our future strategy should still be to stir up conflicts between Russia and France, Russia and Austria, and Russia and Prussia. We aim to engage the strength of European countries to contain Russia, while we simply blockade Russia at sea.”
War always provides lessons. The Near East War has led the British government to conclude that engaging Russia on land is a foolish endeavor.
Using one’s weaknesses against the enemy’s strengths is a fool’s errand.
Such a mistake, having occurred once, is enough. They would not repeat the same error a second time.
……
Vienna
Franz was staring blankly at the map of the Balkan Peninsula.
It seemed that things had escalated considerably. If Russia were to annex these regions, it wouldn’t just be a headache for Britain and France; Austria would also be in trouble.
Despite Franz’s repeated emphasis on the importance of the Russo-Austrian alliance in government meetings, that was just a political necessity. In reality, he had not refrained from undermining Russia in secret.
At this moment, for example, Franz was considering how to limit Russian expansion. The Russians occupying Constantinople would be enough to draw the attention of Britain and France.
The Istanbul region was also very affluent. Apart from Constantinople, this area housed most of the Ottoman Empire’s industry.
Even though the war had caused severe losses, as long as the foundation remained, it wouldn’t take long to recover.
If it all fell into Russian hands, then once Alexander II completed the serfdom reforms, Russia’s power would become too great.
A maid spoke softly, “Your Majesty, Minister Metternich is here.”
Franz responded indifferently, “Invite him in.”
……
Metternich reminded, “Your Majesty, the Ottoman Empire cannot stop Russian expansion. Given the current situation, it won’t be long after the war before the Russians can annex the Balkan Peninsula.
In this case, there is no need for us to directly confront Russia. The larger the territory they annex, the more they will alarm other European nations, potentially becoming a common enemy of Europe.
If the Russian government cannot handle this well, they might end up like Napoleon Bonaparte, a lesson from the past. We need not worry too much.”
Pointing to the map of the Balkan Peninsula, Franz said, “Look, this is the current control area of the countries. According to the Russo-Austrian secret treaty, we have already received the territories we are entitled to.
The remaining areas, apart from Bulgaria which is under Russian control, and Montenegro which has been driven back by the allied forces, are all in the hands of the allied forces.
If things go as expected, these regions will be governed by the Ottoman Empire after the war. But we all know that as soon as Constantinople falls, the Ottoman government will lack the strength to control these areas.
It would be almost effortless for the Russians to annex these regions. Due to the treaty, we cannot intervene.
Once the Russians control these areas, our pressure in the Balkans will increase significantly. What if we change the rulers of these regions and let them block the Russians? Wouldn’t the outcome be better?”
Metternich asked in surprise, “Your Majesty, do you intend to hand these territories over to the French?”
Franz explained, “It’s not that I want to give these regions to the French, but rather that Napoleon III needs to take these territories to provide an explanation to his people.
After fighting for two to three years, with the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives and a substantial amount of military expenditure, and in the end, gaining nothing, how could the proud French people tolerate that?
Now Constantinople is still in French hands. As long as they don’t let go, it won’t be so easy for the Russians to take it.
The Russian government also doesn’t want to continue the war. They just need to occupy Constantinople to satisfy their citizens.
If everyone secretly negotiates, allowing France and Russia to each get what they need, wouldn’t that be more in line with our interests?”
After pondering for a moment, Metternich said, “Your Majesty, I cannot answer this question for you. If we push, there is indeed a high possibility that France and Russia will secretly reach this agreement.
However, where do our interests lie? After this war, at least for the next decade, the Russians won’t instigate a war in the Balkans.
The introduction of the French to counterbalance the Russians is just an ideal situation. It’s more likely that relations between France and Russia will ease, or they could even further their alliance.”
Franz nodded and said, “That’s correct. In theory, France and Russia don’t have core conflicting interests. As long as there is a common enemy, there is a very high possibility of an alliance between the two countries.
But under the current international situation, who is qualified to be the common enemy of France and Russia?
The answer is clear to everyone. Apart from Britain, there will be no other choice. The British government will not just watch all this happen.
In case the British government makes a mistake in their maneuver, at worst, we can join this alliance.”
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