Holy Roman Empire

Upon receiving news of the Japanese surprise attack on the Philippines, Franz almost couldn't help but laugh out loud. It was like someone had handed him a pillow just as he was dozing off.

Without a doubt, the Japanese had done Austria a huge favor this time. They had spontaneously pulled Spain from the battlefield and now it was time for France to feel uncomfortable.

Even as the Duckboard Empire was in decline, it was still a member of the powerful nations and definitely not the kind to just take hits without fighting back.
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Even if the French claimed that the Japanese attack on the Philippines had nothing to do with them, the Spaniards would have to believe it. After all, it was thanks to the endorsement from England and France that the Japanese were able to pass through the Philippine Sea, which had been assured by England and France to the Spanish Government.

Without the influence of England and France, the Japanese would not just be unable to dock and resupply, but even sailing through the Philippine Sea wouldn't be allowed by the Spaniards.

There's no such thing as international waters these days; the powers each more domineering than the next, and the so-called maritime territory is determined by themselves,

A country like Japan had no say whatsoever.

If it were openly known, it wouldn't be easy for the Japanese to invade the Philippines. Just the landing would take more than a day or two to complete, and without a midway supply point, all materials had to be transported from the home country.

With Japan's current national strength, embarking on a distant expedition would quickly drag themselves to their demise, should it not be a quick battle decisively won.

Seeking to maintain his dignified image in the eyes of his subordinates, Franz quickly regained his composure and randomly found an excuse to mask his emotions.

"The Japanese were invited by England and France to enter Southeast Asia, and now they've launched a surprise attack on the Philippines. The Spaniards must be quite furious right now.

We should try to push from behind the scenes as much as possible to direct the Spanish anger towards France and see if we can reap any unexpected benefits."

The chance of any unexpected gain was virtually nil. No matter how angry the Spaniards were, they would at most take it out on the Japanese — as for England and France, they were beyond reach.

No matter what Austria promised, it was useless. Politicians are shrewd; everyone loves to lend a hand when there's glory to be gained, but none when there's heavy lifting to be done.

Joining the Anti-French Alliance now wouldn't be considered a charitable act, but it still came with considerable risk.

France was not an easy target; despite their strategic setbacks, they were holding their own on the European battlefield.

Before a clear victory was determined in the Central European battleground, no one could be certain that the French wouldn't be able to turn the tide. Should France suddenly surge, Austria might sustain it, but that didn't mean Spain could.

There is a precedent for this; Spain emerged victorious in the last Anti-French war they joined in, but as a victor, they nearly lost half their vitality, forfeiting large territories in America.

Despite the heavy price, in the end, when spoils were being divided, Spain, with its lack of power, could only stand by.

One should take a lesson from the past. Unless France was definitely done for, it would be highly improbable for the Spanish Government to muster the courage to declare war on France.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg analyzed, "Your Majesty, the French will not admit that the Japanese attack on the Philippines has anything to do with them. If all goes as expected, they will quickly distance themselves from Japan.

Together with the United Kingdom backing, even if the Spanish Government is boiling with rage, they will have to suppress it.

However, guiding the situation a bit has its advantages. Having suffered such a loss, the Spaniards will certainly seek retaliation.

As long as we stimulate the anti-French sentiment within their country, a move such as an embargo against France is something the Spanish Government would dare undertake."

It's not a matter of admission. Any reasonable person knows that the French couldn't possibly order the Japanese to attack the Philippines at this juncture. If it drove Spain into the arms of the Anti-French Alliance, France would be facing enemies on all sides.

Whether it's to quell the Spanish fury or to give an explanation to the European world, the French must sever ties with Japan.

Allies?

Those are nothing but burdensome ones. France's intention in forming alliances was to escape political isolation, not to make more enemies around Europe.

The recent nationalistic drives have made many European countries uneasy, and another wave of seizing Spanish colonies would spell the end of their presence on the European Continent.

If an opportunity to seize control was feasible, Franz would have acted on it over a decade ago, not waiting for the French. It was fear of retribution that made him abandon the enticing plan and focus on building his own colonial empire.

Prime Minister Carl added, "It is not entirely impossible. If we can convince the Spaniards that we will surely win this war, with some temptation alongside, they might still bite.

However, this lacks any real significance. If the Spaniards are convinced that we can win, it would only be when we have won a victory in Central or Southern Europe.

Having already won, to then coax them to declare war on France would feel awkward in any perspective. The deliberate nature too strong, it becomes easy to arouse suspicion.

If our real purpose were to be seen through, it might spur another storm.

The British wouldn't sit back and watch us grow too powerful, the Russians equally do not wish to see us as the sole hegemon of Europe, and other European countries wouldn't want another master looming over them."

"All of a sudden, we found ourselves opposed by all countries, and the hope of weakening France was utterly lost,"

This was also why Franz hesitated to order a full-scale attack; defeating the French was just the end of the war amidst gunsmoke—the next step would be an even more brutal diplomatic war.

The premature end of the war between England and Russia disrupted the strategic layout of the Vienna Government, and the plan to dismantle France completely fell apart.

How to divide the European countries and ensure that Austria held the dominant position in the post-war negotiations had become the most pressing issue.

After much hesitation, Franz made a decision, "Mobilize our strength, lobby the bureaucrats of the Tsarist Government, and try to get the Russians involved.

We don't need them to send troops directly; as long as the Tsarist Government is willing to declare war on France, they will have a share in the post-war gains.

We must act quickly, to create a fait accompli before the British make their move. If we're too late, most of our strategic goal will be wasted."

It wasn't that Franz was overthinking; given the current international situation, it was very likely that the British could organize a joint mediation team to intervene in the war before its end on the European Continent.

There was no doubt that the countries of Europe all had reasons to interfere with this war. For their own interests, none wanted to see a hegemon emerge on the Continent.

Once England and Russia, two major powers, took the lead, the Alliance could be established within minutes. After all, there's safety in numbers, and Austria would have to consider the difficulty of facing collective outrage when settling scores come autumn.

It was impossible to resist outright; despite the Anti-French Alliance, led by Austria, appearing strong, an international intervention would cause the Alliance to fall apart immediately.

Counting on those fair-weather friends to advance and retreat with Austria was something Franz was not mad enough to do. Without the Anti-French Alliance, facing the European world alone would at best have even odds, and what's the difference between that and courting death?

Especially since these even odds were based on the premise of first crippling France. If the French still had a breath left and the Intervention Alliance emerged, the situation would only worsen.

If military means couldn't achieve the goal, then political maneuvers were the only option. Whether it was through bribery or deceit, as long as the Russians were on board, the situation would be much different.

Although British politicians were known for their thick skins, even they couldn't shamelessly turn a belligerent into a mediator.

Even if the Russians later came to their senses, they could only drag their feet secretly; no matter how the Tsarist Government schemed, it couldn't possibly send troops to defend France.

With Russia on board, swaying Spain would be much easier. Just one glance at the lineup would tell you that the French were destined to lose the Continental war.

A zero-risk, high-reward project, there was absolutely no reason to refuse. After all, both French-Spanish had plenty of bad deeds between them, and they felt no remorse about kicking someone already down.

Franz had already thought it through: after deceiving both Russia and Spain, he would directly force Switzerland to join the war.

They had two choices: either join the Anti-French Alliance and embrace victory or join France in a funeral procession.

After that, there was no after. Most countries in Europe were at war with France, and the British could not make everyone give up their gains.

At worst, Austria would just have to share a bit less of the spoils of war, pleasing the allies. Anyway, French African territories were almost fully taken, and Franz didn't care much about a little indemnity.

Foreign Minister Wessenberg replied with a furrowed brow, "Your Majesty, stirring the Russians to declare war on the French is easier said than done.

The current situation has gradually become clear, and the Tsarist Government is reluctant to overly weaken France. The more we woo them, the less likely the Russians will participate in the war.

Under these circumstances, we can only act as a secret push. Including the usage of pro-Austrian forces, we should not deploy too many.

Only when the Tsarist Government realizes on its own that declaring war on France is greatly advantageous will they possibly take the bait. To achieve this is exceedingly difficult."

It seemed true on the face of it, but Franz remained unfazed. Although his butterfly effect influenced Russian politics, the nature of the Tsarist Government remained unchanged.

"Greed" was the biggest characteristic of the Tsarist Government. Mixed with their corrupt bureaucratic body, this trait was even more pronounced.

"Throw money at it! Spare no expense in bribing Russian officials and nobility, and sell them on the benefits of declaring war against France.

Isn't the Tsarist Government poor? Just by declaring war, they can default on the debts they owe the French, plus they'll receive a hefty war indemnity afterward.

No need to send troops, no need to spend money, merely a declaration of war in name, and to reap so many benefits—I don't believe the Russians won't be tempted."

In the Russian Empire, there was nothing that money couldn't solve; if there was, that just meant not enough money had been spent.

Honest bureaucrats might exist, but in the Russian Empire, such people couldn't survive. When the world was mired in dirt, innocence was a sin.

No matter how savvy Alexander III might be, if all of his ministers were unanimously saying that declaring war on France was good for Russia, it would be difficult for him to remain unaffected.

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