Chapter 318: Pig Teammate
The reforming Russian Bear was also restless. Without opportunities for expansion on the European continent, they went to stir up trouble in the Far East instead.
First, they took advantage of the Second Opium War to wrest away vast territories from the Qing Dynasty. Then they set their sights on Japan.
In 1861, Russian warships intruded into the island of Tsushima (an island in Nagasaki Prefecture), attempting to occupy it as a bridgehead for invading Japan.
With Japan in disarray, it was unable to resist the Russian invasion. The shogunate sought help from the Western powers, hoping to use their strength to deter Russian ambitions.
To contain Russian expansion in the Far East, countries like Britain, France, and the Netherlands expressed their support for the Japanese government. The British even sent warships to counter the Russians.
If history had not changed, under pressure from the British, the Russians would have had to back down.
But at this juncture, the Austrian overseas fleet entered the East Asian region. Not wanting to admit defeat, the Russians turned to Austria for assistance.
The Austrian ambassador to Japan relayed the message to the Austrian fleet, and Fleet Commander Aleister was troubled. The political implications were too much for him to handle.
According to the Russian-Austrian alliance treaty, the two countries were obliged to provide mutual assistance within their power provided that their own interests were not involved.
However, the extent of this assistance was hard to gauge. In the colonial era, strength was everything, and currently, the Austrian fleet was the most powerful force in the Far East.
Before the arrival of the Austrian fleet, only sailing warships existed in the Far East. Ironclad ships were only the stuff of conversations, with many considering them mere rumors.
The arrival of the Austrian fleet undoubtedly ushered in a new era. This global voyage of Austria had a significant impact, showcasing Austrias presence to the world. It made it clear to all nations that Europe still had a top-tier power Austria.
Due to the aftermath of the Second Opium War, the Qing governments fear of foreigners became even more severe. Even though this was just a routine diplomatic visit, many people still lost sleep over it.
After declaring their purpose, the Austrian fleet easily obtained supplies, and officials along the way treated them like the plague, fearing they might cause trouble.
The overseas fleet did not come to make trouble. Usually, they would just cruise around ports, replenish supplies, and then move on to the next stop.
Currently, the fleet was anchored outside the Dagu Forts while the diplomatic envoy, Hmmel, in charge of diplomatic affairs, made routine diplomatic visits to the capital. Due to communication difficulties, this troublesome issue has fallen on the shoulders of Fleet Commander Aleister.
The Fleets Chief of Staff Chandler suggested, Commander, since this involves diplomatic matters, why dont we let the ambassador in Japan decide?
Anyway, we still have to visit Japan, so we can deal with any issues then. Even if there were a conflict between Britain and Russia, we could go over to mediate.
At present, the Russian government is busy with reforms so they will not engage in a full-scale war with the British. Even if there were to be a minor conflict, it would still be manageable.
Chief of Staff Chandlers political sensitivity was evidently higher. A conflict between Britain and Russia did not equate to a conflict between Britain and Austria. This time, Austria did not expand its influence in the Far East, so there were no clashing interests that could lead to conflict.
Verbal diplomatic support for Russia was no big deal. In the envoys absence, handing the reins to the ambassador in Japan complied with regulations.
Fleet Commander Aleister rubbed his forehead and said, Alright, lets leave diplomatic matters to the diplomats then!
To be appointed commander of the Austrian overseas fleet, Aleister was naturally no fool. His poor political insight was only because he avoided politics.
While he cared a bit about European affairs, the Far East was beyond his scope. If it werent for the necessity of coming here in person, he would have regarded the Far Eastern countries the same as African tribal kingdoms subconsciously.
His indifference to politics was also an important factor in his successful career advancement. Military officers with exceptional political talent often didnt fare well.
In Austria, it was customary for military personnel not to engage in politics. If one wanted to enter politics, one had to retire from the military first.
Like most emperors, Franz also preferred military personnel to remain simple-minded; thinking too much often led to problems.
After years of bitter fighting and at a great cost, in mid-October 1860, the British forces captured Delhi, taking the Mughal Emperor as a prisoner.
With the nominal leader of the Indian rebellion gone, the bonds that united the rebel forces were severed, and they descended into a state of disarray.
Subsequently, the British troops successively captured regions such as Lucknow, Karpi, Gwalior, and other areas. The rebel forces suffered heavy losses and were forced to resort to guerrilla tactics.
Taking advantage of their expertise in political maneuvering, the British seized the opportunity to issue the Letter to the Princes, Chiefs, and People of India, aiming to win over local princely states, landlords, and religious groups.
Seeing the tide turning against them, these princely states, landlords, and religious groups switched sides, leaving the rebel forces isolated and without support.
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By March 1861, this massive Indian rebellion had been crushed. The British Empire finally freed up its hands to continue implementing its global strategy.
For Franz, who was considering intervening in the American Civil War, the fact that the British had freed up their hands was undoubtedly good news.
In America, thanks to the diplomatic efforts of Britain, France, Austria, and Spain, the number of states joining the Southern Confederacy had increased to fourteen, narrowing the gap with the North.
The Northern states were unprepared for war. Many federal states were already resigned to compromise, given that the four great powers all supported Southern independence.
In the eyes of many, using force for reunification would easily provoke joint intervention from other countries, potentially leading to a repeat of the embarrassing situation of the burning of the White House.
During this period, most officers in the US military came from Southern plantation owner backgrounds. Capitalists were not accustomed to fighting wars, and the military leadership remained largely in the hands of Southern plantation owners.
After the Southern government declared independence, much of the US Army disbanded, leading to a severe shortage of officers.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, even if President Lincoln wanted to resolve the Confederacy issue through military means, he would not have enough officers available in the short term.
As long as it dragged on, the North-South division would become an established fact. Regardless of whether the Northern government acknowledged it or not, they would eventually be powerless.
At this point, the Southern government did something stupid that sparked the war.
On April 12, 1861, the overconfident Southern government attacked Fort Sumter in an attempt to force the Northern government to recognize Southern independence through violence.
The South struck first, undoubtedly provoking the Northerners. Capitalists immediately manipulated public opinion, portraying the Northern government as the victim.
The opportunity Lincoln had been anxiously waiting for had arrived. Immediately after the outbreak of war, he issued a call to arms.
States that had originally resisted resolving the Southern issue through force now stood behind the Northern government, supporting the Federal government in suppressing the rebellion.
The various Northern states, which had originally been persuaded to maintain neutrality in the Civil War by the combined efforts of various countries, now wavered in their position under the influence of public opinion.
Upon receiving the news, the ambassadors of Britain, France, Austria, and Spain all cursed their pig teammate.
According to their prearranged plan, after the South declared independence, they would leverage the American publics opposition to civil war to create a fait accompli through foreign intervention.
Now, most of these diplomatic efforts have gone down the drain. Aside from persuading three more slave states to join the Confederacy, the Northern states that were finally persuaded to remain neutral were drawn into the conflict.
Austrian ambassador to the United States, Drucker, grimaced and said, Given the current situation, dwelling on these matters is of no use. Lets focus on what to do next!
The French ambassador to the United States, Alfredo, sneered, What else can we do? Since these unreliable Americans want to fight, let them fight to their hearts content. When theyre spent, we can come in and clean up the mess. As long as we stay united, even if a winner is declared, we can still reverse the situation.
Obviously, Alfredo was very unhappy with the Southern government. Starting such a big war without consulting the powers was unacceptable.
Its worth noting that the current situation of the Southern government was only made possible through the combined efforts of the four nations. Just as they gained the upper hand, the Southern government became arrogant.
The powers didnt really care whether the Americans fought or not. But its different when it affects their own gains. Now that the war had broken out and the situation was out of control, any future intervention could only be through force.
The idea of dividing the United States by military means is quite different from dividing it by political means. If the division of the United States were achieved through political maneuvering, the four of them here would have performed a diplomatic miracle. With such an achievement, it wouldnt be surprising if they became foreign ministers.
In other countries where politics is stable, theres a clear hierarchy and its difficult to become foreign minister. But France is different. You wait a few years at most, and then its your turn.
This is still the era of Napoleon III, with relatively stable politics. If it were during the Republic period, it wouldnt be surprising to see seven or eight changes in a year.
The British envoy to the United States, Mark Oliver, shook his head and said, Reversing the situation is not that easy. Its best for both the North and the South to fight to a draw, and then we can step in to mediate.
But its hard to strike the right balance. If things go wrong and one side wins the war, the price well have to pay to intervene will be much higher.
The Spanish ambassador to the United States, Francisco, complained, Its all because of that fool Jefferson Davis. All he thinks about is fighting, he doesnt understand anything about politics!
If he wasnt a fool, why would we support him? Its better to support a fool to lead the Southern Confederacy than to support a tyrant, reassured the Austrian ambassador to the United States, Drucker.
Undoubtedly, Jefferson Davis, the large plantation owner, could not have become the president of the Southern Confederacy without the support of the four nations.
For Jefferson Davis to stand out among numerous competitors, he must be someone exceptional. He had fought in the Mexican-American War and served as Secretary of War (the predecessor of the Department of Defense).
In a time of war, its natural to elect a national leader who knows military affairs. As for other aspects of ability, a slight deficiency is not a problem. Moreover, the ability to serve as a Secretary of War is enough to prove that his political competence is not lacking.
The French ambassador, Alfredo, proposed, In that case, lets support these fools in the South first. Their strength is limited anyway. Even if they were to capture Washington tomorrow, they wouldnt have the capability to unify the United States.
Then, we can support the Northern government to fight back. By going back and forth several times, we can exhaust their national strength as much as possible, to prevent them from becoming a threat.
The British ambassador, Mark Oliver, thought for a moment before saying, Since the Southern government dares to defy us, we must teach them a lesson. How about we now jointly declare neutrality and call for a peaceful resolution of the dispute between the two countries?
There are many ways to show support, with the most impactful being direct intervention. Obviously, everyone is extremely dissatisfied with the foolish actions of the Southern government, so direct intervention is unlikely.
Declaring neutrality is undoubtedly a warning to the Southern government not to play with fire.
Calling for a peaceful resolution of the dispute between the two countries, from another perspective, can also be seen as creating a pretext for armed intervention.
When everyone is ready to intervene, the implication becomes: whoever refuses to peacefully resolve the North-South issue, the four nations will use force to make them agree.
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