Holy Roman Empire

Just when everyone thought the Russo-Prussian War had reached a stalemate, on November 2, 1879, a Prussian division suddenly bypassed Kamin and headed straight for Pinsk.

Since the outbreak of the war between Russia and Prussia, Franz had been closely monitoring the situation, occasionally dispatching airships for high-altitude reconnaissance.

Austria was the most advanced nation in airship technology, with the latest reconnaissance airships capable of operating at altitudes of up to 8,000 meters.

At this time, anti-aircraft weapons were still underdeveloped. Above 3,000 meters, whether it was anti-aircraft machine guns or artillery, they posed no real threat.

With no threats in the skies, Austrian airships frequently ventured deep into foreign airspace. At first, Franz was uncomfortable with such aggressive behavior, but when he noticed the neighbors had little reaction, he gradually got used to it.

At an altitude of several thousand meters, without a telescope, most people would mistake an airship for a bird, making detection quite unlikely.

Even if discovered, they could always claim the pilot had lost their way. Such incidents happened frequently, especially with airships from smaller European countries which often drifted out of their national airspace.

The unusual movements of the Prussian army caught the attention of the airship pilots. After reporting their findings, the otherwise bored Franz took notice and immediately convened an emergency meeting with his on-duty staff officers.

“You’ve all seen the intelligence. What do you think Moltke’s objective is?”

Regardless of Franz’s personal motivations for focusing on this matter, the opportunity to showcase their abilities in front of the Emperor excited everyone in the room.

Deputy Chief of Staff, General Morkes, spoke, “Your Majesty, the true objective of the Prussian army is unlikely to be Pinsk. This seems more like a diversion to draw the Russians’ attention.

Pinsk is located along a key river transport route, about 180 kilometers from Brest, effectively considered a rear position. Militarily, such a deep incursion with an isolated force is a poor strategic choice.

Even if they manage to slip past the Russians undetected, there is still a regiment stationed in Pinsk. While the regiment might not be able to stop the Prussian advance, it can certainly delay them for several days.

Once nearby Russian forces react, this Prussian division will be doomed. Unless they can capture Pinsk within a single day and rely on the local fortifications to hold out for over a month, this move has no strategic value.

The risks involved are simply too great. As one of Europe’s most renowned generals, Moltke surely understands this. Therefore, their true objective is likely Brest.”

A staff officer interjected, “It might not necessarily be Brest. There’s a chance that Moltke’s target could be the Pripyat River. Of course, this is highly unlikely. It’s the dry season, and even if they block the river, the resulting disruption wouldn’t be significant.

I believe it’s more likely that this maneuver is a feint, deliberately drawing Russian attention to cover the real strategic objective of the Prussian army.

As for breaking through to Brest’s rear, while it sounds impressive, what impact can a single infantry division truly achieve on its own?”

…

The staff officers’ imagination was indeed impressive. In just a short while, they had analyzed over a dozen possible scenarios, leaving Franz utterly bewildered.

There was nothing Franz could do since he was just an ordinary man. Expecting him to fully grasp the intricate strategic maneuvers of military experts was simply asking too much.

However, his son, Frederick, was eagerly engaging in the discussion with the staff officers. Perhaps Frederick had a natural talent for military strategy, Franz mused privately.

Of course, it was merely wishful thinking. As the heir to the Austrian throne, Frederick would never have the opportunity to become a true military strategist.

This was no longer the Middle Ages. The era of emperors personally leading armies into battle had long passed. As the crown prince, even if Frederick went to the frontlines, it would merely be for show, with no real chance to demonstrate his abilities.

To be honest, Franz found listening to the staff officers’ debates far more entertaining than reading the newspapers. It was as engaging as a thrilling novel.

Each officer presented their arguments confidently, but whether their ideas would work or not could only be proven in practice. On paper, every theory sounded plausible.

The more Franz learned, the more he realized just how crucial luck was in war. He no longer believed in the so-called “aura of great generals.” After all, even the legendary “28 Generals of the Cloud Terrace” couldn’t compare to the destructive power of a falling meteor.

…

While the Russo-Prussian War remained deadlocked, a turning point had already emerged on the South American front. Ever since the British Navy intervened and tilted the balance, Peru and Bolivia had been in dire straits.

With their sea routes cut off, supplies could only be transported through neighboring countries. Normally, this wouldn’t be a significant issue as everyone loves profiting from war. Unfortunately, diplomatic relations in South America were far from cordial.

From their inception, South American nations had been riddled with conflicts and disputes. If France and Austria hadn’t stepped in to mediate and warned ambitious leaders to behave, most of these countries would likely have taken the chance to kick Peru and Bolivia while they were down.

Foreign Minister Wessenberg reported, “Your Majesty, as of three days ago, the British have seized over 200 ships bound for Peru and Bolivia, including 45 registered under our flag.

To break the British blockade, the Foreign Ministry suggests uniting with the countries involved and jointly pressuring the British.”

What was bound to happen had finally arrived. Chile alone lacked the strength to take on both Peru and Bolivia simultaneously.

Without cutting off Bolivia and Peru’s maritime supply lines, a steady flow of resources would allow the two countries to arm far more troops than Chile could muster.

When the difference in quality between armies isn’t vast, numbers ultimately decide the outcome of a war. In the initial stages of the conflict, Chile was already at a disadvantage.

After pondering for a moment, Franz made his decision, “We must not only demand that the British reopen the sea routes but also insist on compensation for the seized ships. If they refuse, we’ll rally other nations to create pressure.

If conditions are right, we’ll bring France into the fold and posture as if we’re planning trade sanctions against the British. Gather as many nations as possible to amplify the threat and make life difficult for them.”

Yes, the goal was simply to annoy the British. Imposing actual trade sanctions on Britain was out of the question.

At this point in history, John Bull was still the dominant force in global trade, accounting for nearly half of all international commerce. How could anyone effectively sanction them?

Sanctions might be impossible, but creating a headache for them was certainly achievable. Austria could barely tolerate such humiliation, and Franz didn’t believe the proud French would take it lying down either.

They couldn’t defeat the British at sea, but they could certainly win a war of words. By stirring public opinion and escalating diplomatic pressure, they could force the British to compromise.

After all, Britain wouldn’t risk alienating every nation just for Chile’s sake.

…

In fact, even before the Austrian government could take action, the capitalists whose ships had been seized had already made their move.

This time, the European media displayed an unusually unified stance, unanimously condemning the British for their shameless actions and accusing the British government of disrupting the normal flow of free trade.

It wasn’t just continental newspapers that were critical, even newspapers in Britain were chastising their own government. The opposition party had already organized protests and demonstrations, accusing the British government of meddling in the War of the Pacific without proper justification.

The capitalists vividly demonstrated the principle that capital knows no borders and only profit is eternal.

Outside the Prime Minister’s residence on Downing Street, a large crowd of protesters had gathered. Waving banners emblazoned with “Free Trade,” they demanded that the British government lift the blockade immediately.

A bewildered Prime Minister Benjamin slammed his hand on the table and demanded, “Sir John, I need an explanation—an explanation I can give to the public!”

The First Lord of the Admiralty, John Vassall, wore a troubled expression and replied, “Prime Minister, we had an agreement with the Chileans. They funded the purchase of supplies from these ships.

Initially, everything went smoothly. The Chilean government and their capitalists agreed not to transport supplies to Peru and Bolivia for a year.

But as soon as these capitalists received their compensation, they immediately organized new shipments of supplies. The capitalists broke their agreement, and naturally, the Chilean government refused to continue funding further purchases. That’s why the ships were seized.”

After hearing this explanation, Prime Minister Benjamin could barely hold back his frustration. Expecting capitalists to honor their agreements? What a joke!

With a simple change of company names or corporate fronts, the previous contracts became void. Legally, there was no way to hold them accountable for breaching their agreements. These people were clearly exploiting the situation for profit.

Benjamin found himself in a difficult position. Allowing these ships to pass was not an option. If Chile lost the war, control over the lucrative saltpeter trade would fall into the hands of France and Austria.

On the other hand, forcing the Chilean government to continue purchasing these supplies was equally unsustainable. Given the capitalists’ insatiable greed, once they tasted such extraordinary profits, they’d only organize even larger fleets to smuggle supplies again.

Chile couldn’t possibly afford to keep buying indefinitely, no matter how profitable the saltpeter trade was.

Rubbing his temples, Benjamin said, “Send someone to explain to the public outside. Tell them the ships were seized by the Chilean government, and that we are merely conducting military exercises in South America. For now, we need to calm the crowd down. This level of unrest is becoming a serious problem.”

Foreign Secretary Edward added, “It’s not just the protesters outside we need to worry about. The international pressure we’re facing is immense. As of now, we’ve received formal diplomatic protests from twenty-two countries, including France and Austria.

A single country protesting isn’t a problem, but if they start coordinating against us, we’ll be in trouble.

Especially with France and Austria. While the Franco-Austrian focus is currently tied up with the Russo-Prussian War on the military front, their foreign ministries have plenty of free time to make our lives difficult.”

Bolivia and Peru were both small countries. Under normal circumstances, the number of nations trading with them might not even reach twenty-two. The sudden appearance of so many diplomatic protests clearly indicated something suspicious behind the scenes.

Edward chose not to voice this thought aloud because he understood all too well that it was better to leave this lid unopened.

While France and Austria might indeed be pulling some strings, the more likely culprits were the capitalists themselves. The protesting crowds outside were solid proof. It was almost certainly domestic shipping companies orchestrating these demonstrations from the shadows.

In this era, without the internet and with communication between nations being slow and cumbersome, verifying the nationality of ships was extremely difficult.

For convenience, many ships were registered in multiple countries, allowing owners to switch nationalities as needed.

To strengthen their bargaining position and pressure the British government into backing down and allowing them to profit from wartime trade, it was only natural that these shipping companies would involve as many nations as possible.

Even small countries sought opportunities to make their presence felt on the international stage. This situation was a perfect chance—ships registered under their flags had been unfairly seized, so their protests were entirely justified.

With so many nations involved, even if Britain wanted to retaliate later, France and Austria would have to step in to shield them. Otherwise, they’d struggle to rally international support the next time a similar situation arose.

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