Chapter 307: A Pit That They Have To Jump Into (Bonus Chapter)
The fighting power that can be unleashed by a strong government is often beyond imagination. With Franzs order, trade between the Austrian colonies in Africa and the Americas suddenly became active.
A large number of labor export companies settled in the Austrian colonies, exporting surplus local labor to the Americas and the Arab world.
With everyones combined efforts, the embarrassing situation of labor shortages in various countries improved significantly. Under the new labor export model, international slave prices also dropped across the board.
The labor export companies were actually forced to come into being. As the saying goes, when there is a policy from above, there is a countermeasure from below.
The Austrian government outlawed the slave trade, so resourceful slave traders immediately changed tactics to get around the law.
They appeared in the Austrian colonies under the name of labor export companies and blatantly continued their activities. In any case, they were free to do whatever they wanted after they left the Austrian colonies.
Whether these migrants ended up as slaves or contract workers depended on which country they ended up in.
These matters were not on the minds of the colonial bureaucrats. After all, they had an important mission to reduce the native population by 30% in 5 years, so they had no choice but to work hard.
The pressure was even greater as the colonies continued to expand. The Colonial Ministry assigned tasks to every colonial government, and the Ministry of Finance also allocated 2 million guilders annually as a special fund for immigration.
All profits from immigration work belonged to individuals. Officials with outstanding skills in the immigration business were directly promoted, while those who failed to perform their duties were all dismissed.
With everyones livelihood at stake, no one dared take things lightly, not to mention the generous profits to be made based on everyones personal abilities.
Beginning in 1859, Austrian colonies began a frenzy of exporting immigrants overseas.
Take the United States, for example. In 1858, 183,000 immigrants were accepted from the Austrian colonies. In 1859, this number suddenly jumped to 346,000, and in 1860, to 378,000...
The immediate result of this policy was that when the American Civil War erupted, the number of white people in the country decreased by half a million compared to historical figures, while the number of black people increased by one million.
Interest is always the best catalyst. Procuring black slaves from other countries colonies would require heavy taxes or even bribes to colonial officials. Engaging in labor export in the Austrian colonies, however, would qualify for subsidies.
Colonial private military forces also frequently launched attacks on indigenous kingdoms.
At the end of 1859, Josip Jelai enacted the infamous Relocation Law.
The law stipulated that in the event of attacks on immigrants, military personnel, or government officials by the local population, all indigenous tribes within a fifty-kilometer radius would be forcibly relocated.
This immediately provoked strong protests from the labor export companies. How could good laborers be expelled? Wasnt it cutting off their source of income?
Inevitable changes occurred during implementation by the colonial government. In any case, relocation was relocation, regardless of the final destination; handing them over to labor export companies made no difference.
There was not much to say; in this era, no colonial government was cleaner than another. As long as there was no genocide, it would already be considered harmonious.
With Russian support, the rebel Indian army once exceeded 2 million men and occupied more than half of India.
Without a doubt, they were a ragtag army. Though their numbers swelled, their pitiful fighting ability was abysmal. They were armed with Russian-discarded junk, with an average of three men sharing one rifle.
After the rebels gained the upper hand, the British employed their most adept tactic sowing discord. With no unified leadership, the various rebel armies soon fell into infighting and lost their best chance to drive the British out of India.
John Bull, realizing the situation, continuously reinforced the troops in India. The strategic advantage the rebels had gained early on was completely lost in the infighting.
Next came the time to demonstrate comprehensive national strength. By 1859, the British had 350,000 troops in India and were gradually gaining the initiative on the battlefield.
After receiving intelligence reports, Franz could only lament John Bulls formidable might in being able to deploy so many troops on such a distant expedition.
Undoubtedly, only the British could afford such a large expenditure. Clearly, the Russian governments actions had struck Britains nerves.
They have effectively shown the Russians that if they want to take India, they need to think about how many troops they can actually commit to the region!
With these thoughts in mind, Franz could only smile coldly. It seems the British have miscalculated this time.
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Neither Nicholas I nor his successor Alexander II were pushovers. Trying to intimidate them was merely wishful thinking.
Historically, the Russians had been licking their wounds from their defeat in the Crimean War, and their support for the Indian rebellion was limited, allowing the British to quickly suppress it.
The current Russian government was also licking its wounds, but Nicholas I, who had seized Constantinople and was at the height of his power, suppressed internal contradictions.
Moreover, with Austrias financial support, the Russian governments finances were not as dire as they had been in the original timeline, allowing it to continue to support the rebels.
Moreover, India was by no means poor. The rebels also had considerable loot that could be used to purchase weapons.
If the Indians show some determination, they still have a chance to win the war. After all, they have a large population, and as long as they organize enough cannon fodder and wear down the British, they can succeed.
In any case, with the Russian governments support, the Indians could still hold out for some time.
With these thoughts in mind, Franz once again felt conflicted. On the one hand, he wanted to weaken the British and undermine their hegemony. On the other hand, he didnt want to weaken the British because they were the main force intervening in the American Civil War.
In the face of such contradictions, the Austrian government remained neutral, watching the fun without supporting any side.
Franz sighed, lit the intelligence reports in his hand on the candle flame, and then said: Thats it for the Indian matter. Just keep up the routine intelligence reports. Next comes the United States. If conditions permit, we can add a little to their chaos as de facto supporters of the Southern plantation owners.
Yes, Your Majesty! Tyron responded.
This task was very difficult because transoceanic telegraph lines did not yet exist. Communication became the greatest obstacle to the transmission of intelligence.
By the time ships relay messages from America back to the homeland, its often too late. Franz can only delegate authority. Whether they achieve results or not is up to fate.
In the short term, supporting the capitalists in the North could bring greater benefits. If they win, exports of cotton, tobacco, and grain from the United States will be greatly reduced. As a competitor, Austria will reap enormous economic benefits.
In the long run, however, a truly united United States is too formidable. The term Gods chosen nation is not just a figure of speech; they actually occupy the most fertile land in the world.
Even if the entire German region were unified, Austria could not compare with the development potential of the United States, which was inherently determined.
Even if no wars broke out on the European continent, allowing for stable development, it would only be a matter of time before they would be surpassed by the United States.
Unless Austria could swallow half the African continent and digest it perfectly, Franz thought it best to divide the United States.
Even if the United States were split in two, each part would still have the potential to become a world hegemon. Theres no way around it; the natural conditions in the United States are just too superior.
Even if the United States were divided, the strength of the North and South would gradually diverge over time. Hoping that the South could keep the North in check after independence is simply wishful thinking.
How long such independence could last was also a serious problem. The capitalist economy of the North far outstripped the plantation economy of the South in development potential.
Once a serious imbalance of power arose, if a strong leader appeared in the north, a reunification war would break out sooner or later.
When he thought about it, Franz felt like crying. Interfering in the American Civil War might not just be a one-time thing; it might turn into a bottomless pit.
It was at this point that Franz began to understand the actions of Napoleon III in history. Perhaps it was because he saw how terrifying this pit was that he chose to target Mexico, which was easier to bully.
When the French abruptly withdrew, the British and Spanish were immediately displeased. Werent we supposed to intervene together? Youre going to attack Mexico instead, ignoring collective interests?
With Frances withdrawal, Britain and Spain also began to withdraw, and the intervention coalition disintegrated before it even took the stage.
At that time, the European countries watched the American Civil War from the sidelines. The British government wanted to intervene several times, but internal disputes delayed their actions. Before they could make up their minds, the war was already over.
To pursue great things while cherishing ones own safety, and to see small gains and forget righteousness. described Napoleon III well. Just wanting profits without risk how was that possible?
Even though he knew there was a pit ahead, Franz decided to jump into it this time. Franz had no choice it was the lesser of two evils.
Regardless of whether the intervention succeeds, it will cause greater losses to America and delay its development.
If, by some stroke of luck, it succeeds, it would be a great victory. A country of immigrants like the United States naturally lacks cohesion. A war of unification cannot be waged indefinitely; after 2-3 failures, it will be difficult for the people to muster the courage to wage another war.
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