Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 504: The Corrective Force of History

The September wind in Saint Petersburg already had a hint of chill. Inside the Winter Palace, Alexander II was still dealing with state affairs, the wrinkles on his forehead telling the tale of years gone by.

Having witnessed the rise and fall of the Russian Empire, Alexander II felt a strong sense of duty and would not allow himself any indulgence.

A man in his forties or fifties approached and whispered, “Your Majesty, this is top-secret information from Vienna.”

After receiving the sealed intelligence and confirming the seal, Alexander II pointed at the confidential document and said slowly, “Understood, Ferenc, you may leave now.”

Information worthy of being classified as top-secret certainly meant something significant had occurred. Alexander II had no habit of sharing such intelligence with those around him—not due to a lack of trust, but out of a monarch’s instinct.

Opening the confidential document, the contents were about events that had happened half a month ago. There was no helping it. In those days without wireless radio, if they used wired telegraphs to transmit news, how could they keep it secret from the Austrians?

Using codes was even worse, as it blatantly signaled that there was sensitive information to be found.

In this era, telegrams were charged by the word, so they were typically very brief. Transmitting intelligence couldn’t be done so carelessly. If the meaning wasn’t expressed clearly, it would be a problem.

Taking just half a month to get from Vienna to Saint Petersburg was already the best that could be hoped for given the times.

At that moment, Alexander II felt lost. Things were not going according to his plan. The Austrian government’s emphasis on monetary hegemony wasn’t as high as he had anticipated.

Of course, it might have been a smokescreen, but he dared not take that gamble. A misjudgment here could have disastrous consequences.

But abandoning the plan was not an option. If sufficient capital could not be obtained from outside, the development of the Russian Empire would be hindered.

In normal times, it wouldn’t matter. Slower development would be fine, and they could even lay a more solid foundation.

But not now. The enemy wouldn’t leave them that much time. If the Russian Empire couldn’t increase its strength in the shortest possible time, it would suffer a catastrophe before it could even develop.

Despite still being a behemoth, the Russian Empire was surrounded by many enemies. While one alone might not be able to devour it, a coalition of many could.

Another failure would strip away the prestige the Russian Empire had built over centuries. And the best-case scenario would be to barely survive like the Ottoman Empire.

This created a deadlock. Aligning with the British could secure financial aid but at the risk of losing Austria, their most crucial ally. Continuing the Russo-Austrian alliance, however, wouldn’t solve the funding issue.

Austria’s support was essential for Russia to win the next war, or at least ensure Austria didn’t side with Prussia. This was determined by geopolitics, and in this matter, Britain and France were secondary.

As long as the Russo-Austrian alliance remained, Austria’s unconditional support was assured without needing to offer anything in return. Without the alliance, it would all come down to interests.

Deep down, another voice warned him: be careful, things are not that simple.

To destroy the Russo-Austrian alliance and establish the British pound’s monetary hegemony, the British would surely be willing to make an offer. But what if their goals were achieved? Who could guarantee the British wouldn’t breach the agreement?

Treaties were often just pieces of paper. What if the British didn’t fulfill their promises or did so with conditions attached?

There would be no turning back once the step was taken. Breaking the Russo-Austrian alliance was easy but re-establishing it would be much harder.

Alexander II had anti-Austrian tendencies, but that was based on the Russian Empire being strong. Now that the Russian Empire had declined, the Russo-Austrian alliance became all the more important.

Now he somewhat understood why Nicholas I insisted on establishing the Russo-Austrian alliance. The existence of this alliance was not just about capturing Constantinople. It was also about ensuring the strategic security of the Russian Empire.

As long as this alliance existed, they didn’t have to worry about foreign invasion of European territory. Even now, before the alliance was dissolved, Prussia absolutely wouldn’t dare to make a move against them first.

After the defeat in the Russo-Prussian War, the Russo-Austrian alliance played a crucial role in helping Russia navigate through the dangerous period.

Since the establishment of the Russo-Austrian alliance, both countries have reaped substantial benefits. Russia successfully expanded in the Balkans and captured the long-desired Constantinople. Meanwhile, Austria expanded in the Balkans and annexed Southern Germany to rebuild the Holy Roman Empire.

If desired, Alexander II could still obtain the Dardanelles through a territorial exchange, gaining control over the passage to the Mediterranean.

If it were at the beginning of his reign, he would definitely have tried every means to make this territorial deal with Austria, expanding Russia’s influence to the Mediterranean.

But now, such unrealistic fantasies have been abandoned. Entering the Mediterranean was easy but establishing a foothold there was hard.

If not for the establishment of the Anglo-Franco-Austrian alliance, which even squeezed the British out, how could Russia hope to gain a foothold in the Mediterranean?

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The more he thought about it, the harder it became for Alexander II to make a decision. Having no money was not an option, but the Russo-Austrian alliance was equally important, making this a difficult choice.

In reality, Alexander II did not have much of a choice. The continuation of the Russo-Austrian alliance was not solely his decision. The stance of the Austrian government was equally important.

If the Austrians did not want to renew the alliance, then even if he did not cooperate with the British, the alliance would still collapse.

However, Franz cared about face. When the Russo-Austrian alliance was established, Austria was in a weakened state, and to some extent, it was the Russians who supported Austria.

Out of respect, the Austrian government had always maintained the impression of upholding the Russo-Austrian alliance, without showing any intention of taking advantage of Russia’s difficulties.

This misconception led Alexander II to misjudge the situation. This time, he wanted to test the waters through Britain and France to increase his bargaining power and secure more loans from the Austrian government.

As a result, he found himself in an awkward position right after the first step. The Austrian government seemed to be infuriated and was not playing by the book.

Franz did not know about Alexander II’s headache as he had his own troubles. The situation in Mexico had finally collapsed. Less than a week after the French troops withdrew, Maximilian I lost control of the country.

Now, Empress Carlota had returned to Europe to seek help. After failing to convince the French, she returned to Vienna.

Seeking help was one thing, but she had nothing to offer in return. Unfortunately, most of Mexico’s industries had been mortgaged to the French, leaving Maximilian I with very few bargaining chips.

Not even having the money to recruit mercenaries, historical lessons had taught Franz that an emperor in such dire straits usually met a grim fate.

Franz had no intention of getting involved in the murky waters of Mexico. When he suggested to Empress Carlota that she persuade Maximilian I to abdicate, he was instead given a lecture, which infuriated Franz to the point of leaving the room.

There was no way to communicate with someone whose thinking was so detached from reality. “What the Mexican people need...?” From Franz’s perspective, the Mexican people were probably eager to see Maximilian I sent to the guillotine.

To blatantly lie with such ease was astonishing. At the beginning of his reign, Maximilian I might have had a chance to turn things around, but now, no one could salvage the situation.

The people’s patience had worn thin. Years of reforms had remained only on paper, and policies that were supposed to benefit the country and its people ended up harming them instead.

Becoming an emperor with no support and surrounded only by a bunch of empty talkers, Franz didn’t know what to say.

Failing to gain Austria’s support, Empress Carlota sought help from other European countries. Franz already knew this would be futile.

Who would be willing to get involved in the mess of Mexico without any benefits? With the French’s previous experience as a warning, everyone would think twice.

Franz was now just waiting for the rebels to capture Mexico City and for Maximilian I to return to Austria, which would mark the end of the matter.

This wouldn’t take long. With the French troops withdrawn, the rebels had already launched a major offensive. Expecting the Mexican government forces to suppress the rebellion was less likely than hoping the rebels would implode through infighting and self-destruct.

Now, the Mexican insurgent army was also plagued with internal conflicts, with a large number of conservatives and racists infiltrating their ranks. As soon as these contradictions explode, they would immediately fall apart.

However, before that happens, they still have one common goal: to get rid of Maximilian I. Once this goal was achieved, Mexico would enter a century-long period of internal strife.

It was worth mentioning that many of the leaders within the insurgent army were originally royalists and constitutionalists, some even the very people who helped Maximilian ascend to the throne.

The fact that they all turned into revolutionaries was something Franz had to admit was a testament to Maximilian I’s “unique” ability. There weren’t many emperors in the history of the world who could achieve this.

But these people wouldn’t enjoy their success for long. Once the revolution succeeded, it would be their turn to suffer. If they were to thrive, where would that leave the face of the Habsburgs?

Maximilian’s poor performance in Mexico could only be overshadowed if his successors did even worse. There had to be someone to set a negative example to somewhat restore the family’s dignity.

In the original timeline, this group didn’t amount to much, falling into internal strife soon after taking power. Franz was merely giving them a push, bringing forward the era of warlords and expanding his sphere of influence in the process.

No, it couldn’t be said to be bringing it forward. It should be seen as the corrective force of history, restoring the timeline to its original path.

Due to Franz’s butterfly effect, the French invested more heavily, allowing the Mexican Empire to last a few more years.