Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 1152: 166: An Undutiful Son

Chapter 1152: Chapter 166: An Undutiful Son

The war ended, and the news spread, causing all of Europe to boil over. In the past year, not only the British were eating chaff, the days were also tough for the European populace.

Although there was no shortage of food, everyone’s wallets were seriously affected.

It was all because of the war. With maritime routes disrupted, many industrial raw materials could not be transported, and even if they could be transported, they had to be rerouted, inevitably driving up costs.

Apart from the self-sufficient Shinra and Russia, other European countries suffered from a lack of raw material supplies, forcing businesses to lay off workers and reduce production.

Unemployment rose along with inflation, naturally making life difficult for ordinary people.

Fortunately, Emperor Franz had integrity; not only did he not take advantage of the situation to loot, but he also opened up the warehouses in time, releasing a large amount of food to Europe, cutting off the capitalists’ speculations.

Governments from various countries also introduced emergency measures, distributing relief food to the unemployed, addressing people’s dining issues.

It was precisely because the food issue was addressed that the British’s conspiracy was thwarted. Otherwise, with the involvement of the Revolutionary Party, real chaos could have erupted indeed.

After a year of hardship, victory in the war was finally won on Christmas Eve, it was difficult to not be excited.

Apart from the internecine Russian Empire and defeated Britannia, the entire European world was immersed in a celebratory sea.

While the public celebrated, the governments of various countries were already busy. Winning the war did not mean everything was over, the most critical step was still left—dividing the spoils.

With the British surrender, the international landscape was undergoing a comprehensive reshuffle. The alternation of old and new hegemons often means both crisis and opportunity coexist.

As a member of the Continental Alliance, countries in Europe undoubtedly chose the right side this time, and now it was time to share the fruits of victory.

When it came to specific interests, disputes were inevitable. The cake was only so big; if you take more, naturally others get less.

Former close allies have now become competitors. Fortunately, the Russians were kicked out of the game early, otherwise, the struggle would have been even more intense.

To more harmoniously divide the spoils of war, representatives from various countries of the Continental Alliance were already gathered inside the Holy Roman Empire’s Foreign Ministry.

Those who joined later need not mention, having not contributed enough in the war, they could only follow along without much say, the real contenders being the various countries of Europe.

Glancing at everyone, Leo, the Holy Roman Foreign Minister, spiritedly said: “Welcome to Vienna, and I hope everyone can enjoy a pleasant Christmas here.

After our joint efforts, lasting nearly a year, we have finally defeated the evil John Bull, restoring peace to the human world.

Every country present here has contributed to this war, and you all are heroes of the human world.

The British have been defeated, but the mess they left behind still needs us to clean up. In order to restore international order as soon as possible, cooperation from all countries is needed now.

Today, we are discussing the South Asian Subcontinent. Thanks to the British, South Asia is now in complete chaos, with four hundred million people desperately needing our help.

As responsible nations, I trust everyone will willingly contribute their part for human peace.”

Without a doubt, these were all put forward for dividing among the nations. The real territories the Vienna Government were interested in, would never be brought up for discussion.

Regions like Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and British-Africa, were already in the pocket of the Holy Roman Empire; Leo directly skipped over these, and the representatives from various countries also pretended not to see.

There was nothing to dispute; purely in terms of economic value, India alone surpassed the total of these regions. The most fertile lands were put forward; who could say the Vienna Government wasn’t generous?

Everyone was smart, and the underlying meaning was clear at once. “South Asian Subcontinent” meant there was no issue about the islands.

There are hardly any islands in the Indian region itself, apart from Sri Lanka which is slightly larger, the rest are mere dots, hardly worth mentioning.

What was brought out now, matched what the Vienna Government had previously promised, naturally, the representatives from the various countries had no objections.

“Your Excellency, Spain is willing to contribute its part for peace in South Asia!”

The Spanish representative, Roman Ricome, said with spirit.

In the recently concluded World War, Spain had indeed gained much limelight, venting centuries of pent-up resentment.

In the Far Eastern region, Spain successfully kicked Japan while it was down; in Europe, not only did it participate in the bombing of London, but it also took control of the Strait of Gibraltar.

It seemed as if the once mighty Spain had returned overnight. Although these were mere illusions, it did not affect Spain’s return to the ranks of the great powers.

With the Russians out, Spain was the presence in the Continental Alliance just after Shinra.

Although Spain, the second in power, has a substantial gap with the leader and lacks any real substance to boast about, it still doesn’t affect Roman’s mood.

The weak have their advantages; at least they don’t have to worry about being suppressed by the most powerful; if they were truly powerful, Roman would worry about following in the footsteps of the Russian Empire.

“The Nordic Federation is also willing to contribute to the peace and stability of the South Asian Subcontinent.”

“We in Belgium, are also willing to contribute to South Asia…”

…

When it comes to interests, no one wants to give up. None can challenge the Holy Roman Empire, the most powerful, but Spain, the second in line, is not feared.

Anyway, the international order will soon be established, and those who dare to start a war or disrupt the order then will become enemies of the Holy Roman Empire.

Any country with the capability to participate in colonization has joined the fray, fearing they might miss a chance to maintain peace and stability in South Asia.

…

In St. Petersburg, ever since the news that countries are abandoning Russia to divide India broke, the Tsarist Government has been on edge.

All spent money and effort, blood and sweat, and even a total paralysis inside due to this war, yet when it comes to dividing the spoils of war, they suddenly declare that Russia has no part in it, which is unbearable for anyone.

Frustrated as they are, the civil war is not over, and there isn’t much the Russian Empire can really do.

Nicholas II angrily commanded: “Order the troops at the Indian front to drop everything and return home to quell the rebellion immediately.”

Since there’s no share in the spoils of war, staying in India to maintain order is just making wedding dresses for others. Nicholas II is not that generous and has no interest in unpaid work.

“Your Majesty, the Afghan Region has already fallen, and the Central Asian and Caucasus regions are mostly in the hands of the rebels. It’s feared that…”

Before Prime Minister Sergei Witte could finish, Nicholas II interjected: “If rebels block the way, then fight your way back! Since it’s about quelling rebellion, it doesn’t matter where you start.”

Undoubtedly, these were words spoken in anger by Nicholas II. Fighting back sounds easy, but what about logistics?

If withdrawal was feasible, the military would have acted already. After all, India, though important, still cannot compare to the homeland.

There have been no orders to retreat yet, and the key issue is that disassociating from the Allied Forces means that the hundreds of thousands of frontline troops would lose their logistical support.

If the Russian Empire were smaller, maybe they could manage by saving up a bit, hiding food for ten days or half a month.

However, the Russian Empire is too vast; the journey of thousands of kilometers from India to the homeland, while having to confront rebel forces, how would it work without sufficient supplies?

The Russian forces in the Far East have nearly been annihilated; the Russian troops at the Indian frontline are the last of the Russian Empire’s elite. Once these seeds are lost, it would take more than overnight for the Russian Land Forces to regain their combat effectiveness.

To avoid tragedy, Yevgeny, the Army Minister, had to persevere in advising.

“Your Majesty, the enemy will not let us do as we wish. The frontline troops have been scattered, and it is very difficult to regroup them now.

The command of these troops is in the hands of the Allied Command, so if we forcibly gather troops, the enemy might take the opportunity to cause trouble and directly label them as rebel forces.”

While there may be an element of fear-mongering, politics is unpredictable. When interests are substantial enough, anything could happen.

For the sake of interests, European countries could support the Russian rebels; who can assure that these people wouldn’t take the opportunity to wipe out the main force of the Russian soldiers at the frontline?

“Hmph!”

“Let’s keep this account for now, there will be a day for settling it with them!”

Nicholas II roared angrily.

It’s evident, his dissatisfaction with the Vienna Government has reached a peak. If not for the constraints, he would have loved to tear up the treaties immediately.

Of course, tearing up the treaties now isn’t possible. Even with the treaties, the Russian Empire’s days are difficult; without the treaties, it would likely not just be secret small maneuvers.

After pausing for a moment, Nicholas II added: “Deploy the newly formed troops. We don’t have much time left, we must speed up quelling the rebellion.

Only by suppressing domestic unrest before the international order is established will we have a voice in this world.”

Reality is the best teacher; after continuous societal beatings, even within adversities, Nicholas II has grown. He deeply understands that power is the ultimate foundation.

Navy Minister Leonid

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