Chapter 345: Intervention Alliance Forces
Maximilians intention to take the throne as Emperor of Mexico irked quite a few people.
While domestic republican opposition is expected, given that it was the French who facilitated his rise, even within the constitutionalist faction, there are concerns about the continued expansion of French influence prompting many to adopt a wait-and-see approach.
Before Maximilian arrived in Mexico, Lincoln had already made his stance clear, opposing French interference in Mexican affairs and condemning the French for violating the Monroe Doctrine.
These are all minor issues. They even interfered in the internal affairs of the United States, who would still care about the Monroe Doctrine? The French simply ignored Lincolns protest.
The Spanish have already occupied the island of Hispaniola, Austria has extended its hand into Central America, and the British are keen on reclaiming the western territories. Naturally, the French dont see anything wrong with coveting Mexico.
They didnt directly annex Mexico but would merely support a puppet government to rule which was already quite a restrained approach. At least it looked better than Austrias plan to turn the Central American countries into autonomous provinces.
Not only did the Union government oppose it, but even the Confederate government also objected to Maximilian assuming the throne of Mexico. They feared that the development of the Mexican Empire would harm their interests.
Against this backdrop, in March 1864, Maximilian ascended to the throne of Mexico, known in history as Maximilian I.
With everyones attention focused on the American Civil War, there was little interest in the newly ascended Emperor of Mexico. This coronation ceremony could be said to be the worst in the past century.
The guest list was unimpressive. Given the distance, one couldnt expect European nobles to make the journey personally, and even sending representatives would require expenses, wouldnt it?
The setting was austere, but that didnt matter much since it was just a formality. Ultimately, it all depended on performance; failure would be considered austere, while success would be seen as a prudent use of resources.
The key issue was the Republican Party causing trouble. On the day of the coronation, they organized a massive parade, demanding the Emperors ousting.
At the coronation venue, a few delusional teenagers even tried to disrupt the ceremony, though the guards reacted quickly to prevent this malicious act.
This was a warning from the Mexican hardliners telling Maximilian I in this unique way: Youre not welcome here. If youre smart, youll cooperate with us.
Shortly after Maximilians coronation, both the North and South launched a major decisive battle.
In mid-April 1864, at the border between Pennsylvania and Ohio, the Northern government assembled an army of 420,000 troops, while the Southern government gathered 340,000 troops.
The outcome of this battle would directly affect the future course of America.
If the Northern government lost the battle, Pennsylvania would fall, and the industrial region of the Great Lakes would be under the control of the Southern government, leaving the North virtually powerless.
Conversely, if the Southern government lost, they would lose the advantages they had painstakingly accumulated thus far.
The Northern government could then capitalize on their victory to reclaim Ohio and Maryland, and with their numerical superiority, crush the Confederacy.
The attention of all nations gathered here, and as bystanders, they all hoped to see neither the North nor the South emerge victorious, which was the ideal outcome.
Since the outbreak of the Civil War, the industrial output of the United States has declined by 43%, and agricultural production has dropped by 37%.
States like Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Kentucky, which became battlefields, suffered the most severe losses.
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The total population of the United States has dropped below 30 million, and the war has inflicted serious wounds on the nation. It would take at least ten years to recover to pre-war levels, and the states involved in the conflict would continue to bear the scars for the next 20-30 years.
The more devastating the war was for the Americans, the greater the benefits obtained by European countries. Arms dealers, in particular, made a fortune.
Other industries also reaped rewards. Take Austria, for example. With the absence of the United States as a major grain exporter, international grain prices rose by 13%. As Europes largest agricultural exporter, Austria naturally emerged as the biggest winner.
In addition to agricultural products, Austrian industrial and commercial products also appeared in the American market. The total export trade to the United States increased by 46% compared to before the war.
Britain and France were also not to be outdone, seizing the opportunity to expand their presence in the Americas. Especially in the industrially weak Southern government, most of the industrial and commercial products used now came from various European countries.
The Northern states didnt fare much better either. After transitioning their economies to support the war effort, the production of other civilian industrial and commercial products naturally decreased significantly, with European-made goods flooding the market.
Despite Franz seizing the opportunity by stockpiling weapons early on, the British benefited the most economically.
As the worlds industrial powerhouse, John Bull surpassed the total exports of all other countries in industrial and commercial products, naturally becoming the biggest beneficiary.
Since Britain, France, Austria, and Spain decided to reach a consensus on the American issue, the envoys of the four nations frequently met to exchange views, occasionally with some disagreements.
Austrian representative Drucker proposed, Gentlemen, the critical moment has arrived. Regardless of the outcome of this battle, we must intervene.
If we act too late and the sides determine a winner, the cost of intervention will be much higher. I propose organizing an intervention alliance immediately and directly intervening in the American Civil War.
French representative Alfredo opposed, Mr. Drucker, it is too early for us to act now. Regardless of who wins this battle, both sides will suffer heavy losses and will not have the ability to launch a full-scale counterattack in the short term.
This war will continue for a long time, and the best option is to use the civil war to exhaust American strength as much as possible.
If we intervene now, both the Confederacy and the Union will retain significant military strength, which is not conducive to our subsequent activities in North America.
These are just excuses. The key issue is that the French are concentrating on handling Mexican affairs, and they have too few troops available to intervene in the American Civil War now.
Interests are always tied to strength. The greater their deployable forces now, the larger their potential gains after the war.
As old major powers, none wanted to invest effort without reaping benefits. It was unrealistic to dream of taking advantage without contributing.
What Alfredo really wanted was to buy time. Once France had freed up its forces, it could intervene in the American Civil War while maximizing their interests.
In his view, a joint intervention by the four nations of Britain, France, Austria, and Spain would face no difficulties against the United States. Not just the presently battered America, but even the United States at its full strength would be unable to simultaneously resist all four.
The British representative Mark Oliver spoke: The American Civil War has dragged on to this point, and both sides are already exhausted, with little possibility of continuation.
If not for both sides being on the verge of collapse, this decisive battle would not have occurred. From the battlefield situation, it is clear to all that the preparations of both North and South for this battle were very hasty.
If we continue to wait, nobody can guarantee what will happen next. What if, after determining a victor, both sides agree to a compromise?
As the third party, if we miss the best opportunity for intervention, how can our interests be ensured after the war?
I support Druckers proposed plan. We must organize an intervention force immediately to prevent the situation from escalating and damaging our interests.
With a vote of two to one, the Spanish representatives decision became the deciding factor. If they sided with the French, the issue would remain unresolved at two to two; otherwise, it would be a case of the minority yielding to the majority, and the proposal would pass.
The Spanish ambassador Francisco said: To my knowledge, communications between the Northern and Southern governments have never been completely severed. To avoid the worst situation, I support forming an intervention force.
It was not surprising that the Spanish ambassador, Francisco, made the decision that best served Spains interests.
If this intervention plan were to fail, the major powers of Britain, France, and Austria could afford the losses, but not Spain.
The Americans had long cast covetous eyes on Cuba, which happened to be Spains wealthiest colony, bringing them substantial wealth every year. Faced with a unified United States, Spain did not have confidence in retaining control over it.
In the face of core interests, the Spanish were not willing to take risks. Therefore, they showed great enthusiasm for intervening in the issue of dividing the United States. Even with numerous internal conflicts in Spain, they joined the intervention alliance.
British envoy Mark Oliver continued, Three to one, the proposal passes. Now lets summarize the number of troops each country will deploy to ensure the smooth progress of the intervention.
Great Britain can mobilize its American fleet, including five ironclad ships, 16 sail battleships, and another 38 various types of warships, along with 80,000 troops.
This represented almost all of Britains mobile armed forces in North America, indicating they were prepared to spare no expense in thoroughly dividing the United States.
The Austrian envoy Drucker considered and said: Our American fleet can also be deployed. On the West Coast, we currently have 3 ironclads and over 30 other naval vessels. We can also deploy 50,000 ground troops.
This represented most of Austrias current military forces in the Americas. Had they not received reinforcements from home recently, they could not have mustered so many troops.
After all, the situation in Central America was still unstable, and it was clear that local militias couldnt be relied upon. If they intervened in the United States and lost control of their own colonies, it would be a disastrous outcome.
The Spanish envoy Francisco lacked confidence as he spoke: We can mobilize the Cuban fleet, comprising over 50 warships, including one ironclad ship. As for the army, we can deploy 70,000 troops.
Unfortunately, Spain was truly in decline. If not for keeping up appearances, that single ironclad would not have existed either. As for the seventy thousand troops, this included forces composed of local indigenous peoples, whose combat effectiveness was uncertain.
The three turned their gazes to Alfredo. As the main ground force contributor in the intervention alliance, France had not been shy about boasting previously. Now it was their turn to perform.
After a moment of hesitation, Alfredo made a decision: We can deploy the American fleet comprising over 50 warships, including 3 ironclad ships. Additionally, our army can deploy 60,000 troops.
Regardless, France could not lose face. If needed, the Mexican issue could be postponed as this operation directly impacted the post-war division of interests in the Americas.
America was everyones backyard, and it wouldnt be long before it became a hunting ground for the four nations. In fact, it was already everyones hunting ground; they just needed a treaty to formally delineate each nations sphere of influence.
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