Holy Roman Empire

Coal load: 860 tons;

武器装备：10×110磅尾装来复炮，20×68磅前装滑膛炮，4×40磅尾装来复炮；

Armor: Armor belt 4.5 inches thick, lined with planks 18 inches thick;

Crew: 695 people;

Cost: 80 Aegis.

Franz is just a novice in the navy and cannot understand these messy parameters, but he knows one thing, that is, the era of sailing warships is over.

As soon as the "Frederick" was born, it broke many world records. It is currently the warship with the largest tonnage and the strongest combat effectiveness in the world.

Before the birth of similar warships, there was no pressure to bully sailing warships, and that was enough.

Originally, this was used to scare people. No matter how strong the combat power is, it is impossible to bridge the gap between the Austrian navy and the British and French navies with a single warship.

More ants kill elephants. Franz still understands this simple truth.It can be used to scare people, why do you need to fight and kill?

London

As a maritime power, the advent of the ironclad Friedrichshaw directly shocked the London government.

Prime Minister Granville snarled: "I need an explanation. Why did the Austrians come ahead of us? What is the Royal Navy doing with so much military spending every year?"

If the army is overtaken, he can drink coffee leisurely. Anyway, they are a sea power country. If they rank the armies of European countries, they will not make it to the top five.

The navy is no good. The Royal Navy, the number one in the world, is actually lagging behind in warship technology. Thousands of sailing warships can all be eliminated overnight.

This kind of psychological gap is obviously not acceptable to the British.Even if he is surpassed in a short period of time, he should not be an Austrian who has no sense of presence.

Secretary of the Navy James explained: "Prime Minister, the Royal Navy is already conducting research on ironclad ships. The Austrians first produced ironclad ships. It doesn't mean that their shipbuilding technology is more advanced than ours, but that they did it earlier.

Since 1850, the Austrians have invested a lot of money in the research and development of ironclad ships. The official construction began in early 1855, and it took nearly two years to complete.

The Royal Navy only received funding this year to start research and development. Temporary backwardness is inevitable. We can catch up and surpass the Austrians in a maximum of five years. "

Prime Minister Granville shook his head and said: "I don't want to hear your explanation, if you want to explain it, go and talk to the MPs!

What you have to do now is to announce our ironclad ship plan. We must build an ironclad ship in the shortest possible time. Even if it is just a model, we must have it! "

This is a typical way for politicians to think about issues. What Prime Minister Granville cares about is not an ironclad ship, but the chain political reaction it brings.

The proud British cannot tolerate any backwardness in the navy. Now that they are being overtaken, the opposition party will definitely not let this opportunity go.

Fortunately, not long after the Granville Cabinet took office, the Navy launched the ironclad ship project.Then this responsibility can be shifted to the predecessors. It was they who missed the opportunity to develop ironclad ships, which caused the shipbuilding technology to temporarily fall behind.

Foreign Secretary Thomas reminded: "Your Excellency, according to the information we have collected, the ironclad ship built by the Austrians may have a displacement of between 8500 and 9000 tons, and it is also equipped with tail-mounted rifles.

After this ironclad ship entered service, the naval balance in the Mediterranean was broken, and our Mediterranean fleet was no longer able to suppress the Austrian Navy.

In this case, the Vienna government is likely to engage in new tricks.Of course, they don't dare to provoke us yet, but that's not necessarily the case with the Ottoman Empire. "

Granville rubbed his forehead. He found that the prime minister position of the British Empire was really difficult to do. The Russians had just provoked trouble in Central Asia, and the Austrians were coming again.

This is the case with the international order these days. When the strength is strong, it is necessary to get more benefits. After the Austrian Navy has gained a short-term regional advantage, it is normal to expand.

"Can we suppress the ambitions of the Vienna government?" Prime Minister Granville asked

Thomas analyzed: "It's very difficult, unless we are willing to spend a lot of money to mobilize more fleets into the Mediterranean, or take the first step to occupy their goals and not leave them a chance."

Granville denied: "This is impossible, we don't have that many fleets that can be deployed in the Mediterranean, let alone attack the Ottoman Empire first.

We have promised the Ottoman Empire to ensure their territorial integrity, even if it is only for the sake of international reputation. At this time, we cannot just sit idly by.

Is it possible to bring the Austrians into other regions and make them abandon the operation against the Ottoman Empire? "

Thomas thought for a while and said: "You can try it. If we join forces with the French to exert pressure, the Vienna government is likely to give up its expansion in the Mediterranean. After all, they don't want to break the newly established Vienna system."

Chapter 26 Reflection

After the outbreak of the Central Asian War, the Persian government discovered that it had been cheated by the Russians, or that it had been cheated by the bureaucrats in the Tsarist government.

The so-called aid was indeed given, but the action was a little slower and the amount was discounted.

What was an inconspicuous little problem in normal times became a big problem during wartime. Due to the lack of support, the Persian army on the battlefield was suppressed and beaten by the British from the very beginning.

For its own safety, the Persian government decided to introduce a third country to balance the forces of Britain and Russia, and end the war as soon as possible.

It is a pity that the Persian government officials were not very smart, and they found the Americans in the first place, trying to use the power of the Americans to balance Britain and Russia.

It's a pity that the United States in this era is not the awesome America of later generations. It may still have a little say on the American issue. Who knows them in Central Asia?

Seeing that the attitudes of Britain and Russia are forceful, the Americans who just want to share the privileges naturally hesitated at the first time.Of course, no one will listen to them if they are not counseled.

Forced to do so, the Persian government once again set its sights on the European continent, seeking help from France and Austria.

Vienna

Metternich handed a document to Franz and said, "Your Majesty, this is a diplomatic note from the Persian government. I hope we can mediate this Central Asian war."

After flipping through it, Franz shook his head and said: "Reject the Persian government, we don't need to participate in the affairs of the Persian region for the time being."

The Vienna government still wants to make Britain and Russia fight each other in Central Asia. At this time, they ran to mediate, aren't they full?

As for the economic benefits promised by the Persian government, it is actually very tasteless for Austria.At present, Austria's leading products in international trade are refined agricultural products, and a small amount of industrial products and machinery are also exported.

The Persians can be self-sufficient in food and cannot afford refined Austrian agricultural products.The Persians were still a traditional feudal dynasty. They had little demand for industrial products and machinery and equipment, and they had to face competition from the British, so they didn't have much profit at all.

Before the Suez Canal was dug through, Franz was not prepared to participate in the affairs of the Persian region.If he had the time, he might as well infiltrate the Arabian Peninsula, at least with the Sinai Peninsula as a stronghold.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Metternich replied

Apparently, he also had no interest in meddling in Persian affairs.Maybe it's getting older and becoming conservative, or maybe it's purely from the perspective of interests.

These are not important. Against the background of continuous reform, Franz still needs conservatives to come out to pull the brakes, otherwise he will be miserable if he goes out of line all of a sudden.

Many old-fashioned empires tend to die faster the more they reform, the main reason is that they did not grasp the speed.Those who need strong medicine are fighting to the death when they are already half dead.

Obviously, the new Holy Roman Empire has not reached that level yet, and the Ottoman Empire next door really needs strong medicine. It has been dying since losing the Balkan Peninsula.

Secretary of the Navy Felcos suggested: "Your Majesty, Corfu Island has always been known as the gateway to Venice, and the Adriatic Sea cannot be regarded as truly safe if it is not captured here.

Although the British only included the Ionian Islands as a protected area and did not station heavy troops, potential threats still exist, and we must wait for the opportunity to take here. "

Strength is always the best confidence. With the service of the Friedrich, the Austrian Navy has begun to be impatient and wants to win the gateway.

Franz nodded and said, "It's still troublesome to deal with this issue, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can contact the British first to see if they can sell it to us.

As far as I know, it seems that the local residents are very unpopular with the British. The puppet government they support locally is not popular, and they can plan local riots when necessary. "

Whether the British will let go, Franz is not worried.Once the Indian rebellion broke out, the British government would not be able to compromise.

It's just that you can't have both the fish and the bear's paw. Once you get it here, there is no way to exchange interests with the British in other regions.

Metternich replied: "Your Majesty, if it was only Corfu Island, the British would probably let it go, and they were worried that we would take advantage of the Ottoman Empire.

Recently, the British Foreign Office has been in frequent contact with the French. They are likely to win over the French and prevent us from expanding our power in the Mediterranean. "

Corfu Island is only a member of the Ionian Islands, which is very important to Austria, but it is also the same to the British.

Since obtaining local protection rights in 1815, the London government has not stationed heavy troops on the island.On the one hand, it is to not stimulate Austria, on the other hand, it is really unnecessary.

As for the siege of Austria?Whether it's in Malta or the Strait of Gibraltar, why go to your doorstep?

Every additional military base is accompanied by huge military expenditures.The London government is rich and powerful, but they are not stupid.

Prime Minister Felix said: "There are not many places in the Mediterranean area that can be expanded, and the remaining areas are either the territory of Britain and France, or the sphere of influence of the Ottoman Empire.

The Vienna system has just been established and is still very fragile. Any actions we take at this time must be cautious. "

Secretary of the Navy Felcos analyzed: "The Egyptian region cannot be touched. This is an agreement we have reached with Britain and France and cannot be violated.

We have given up on Morocco, Algeria is in the pocket of the French, and Tunisia is also regarded as meat on the chopping board by Napoleon III. If you do not want to conflict with the French, these areas cannot be moved.

Not to mention the mainland of the Ottoman Empire, if they are really defeated, it will only make the Russians cheaper, and it is not worth the loss for us.

The most strategically valuable remaining place is Crete.Occupying here will extend our sphere of influence to the Aegean Sea and increase our voice in the Mediterranean Sea. "

As for Cyprus, it only has strategic value for the Ottoman Empire now, and for Austria, it may not be able to see the strategic value until the middle and late next century.

Not to mention Libya, the country of the desert is not in vain, the total population is only 60 to [-] nomads, Britain and France have not expanded here, not because they have no strength, but mainly because they are worthless.

The elites of the same era have similar visions, and the Vienna government naturally has no interest in places that Britain and France look down upon.

Franz said nonchalantly: "The finances of the Ottoman Empire are very bad. If they hadn't sold the rest of the Balkan Peninsula to the French, they probably wouldn't even be able to pay the interest.

Now that the Sudanese government is reforming, it must be very short of money. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can contact them to buy or lease Crete and Cyprus.

If they are willing to sell the suzerainty of Libya, they can also take it.In the future, maybe we can build a railway from Libya to the Gulf of Guinea, which will be very helpful for us to consolidate the local rule. "

It's useless to say anything else. Forecasting the future and strategic vision are all things that can only be done by brains.Without the halo of the protagonist, they are the ones who can't survive three episodes.

It’s okay to fool ordinary people, but don’t dream about fooling the elites of this era.People will only come to one conclusion - the emperor is crazy!

It is most effective to speak directly of the interests that everyone can see.If you can't convince everyone, just force it and do it recklessly, then prepare to be a lonely person, or the kind who may betray relatives at any time.

Just like now, Franz believes that the Congo Basin is Austria's most valuable colony, while the Vienna government believes that the Gulf of Guinea is Austria's most valuable colony.

You know what you know, but Franz is not ready to convince everyone.

The benefits of the Gulf of Guinea are visible, and it will be profitable in one or two years, while the Congo Basin has no continuous investment for three to five years, and there is no return.

Talking about the future is the most nonsense. The international situation is ever-changing, and the future ownership of the colonies is still unknown. What development prospects are you talking about?

European countries have similar attitudes towards colonies. Colonies that can make profits in the short term are good land, while areas that cannot make profits are bad land.

Grand Duke Louis objected: "Your Majesty, we don't need to invest too much energy in the Mediterranean region, except for Corfu Island, other regions are very tasteless.

Neither has much strategic value nor economic value.It is better to take the opportunity to develop power in the Pacific region. Not long ago, there was news from the Far East that Britain and France are preparing to launch a big operation, and we can also participate in it. "

Franz shook his head and said, "How much benefit can we gain from following Britain and France?

It took one year for the navy to go back and forth to the Far East, and with the time of the war, it might take two years.

If we have the time, why don't we continue to colonize the African continent.It is not good for us to stretch the front line too long, and the interests that can be defended are the real interests. "

This reason is not sufficient, but it is very much to everyone's appetite.There were no radicals in the Vienna cabinet, and Franz believed that he was already radical enough. If a few more radicals were added to the Vienna government, something would happen.

Throughout the history of the world, every country that is governed by radicals ends in tragedy.Even if it is successful, it is only a temporary success, and eventually it will inevitably be lost with interest.

Just like now, if radicals were in power, who would use diplomatic means would have gone straight up.

In the eyes of many people, bullying the Ottoman Empire is nothing more than nothing to worry about.

Actually?While expanding and seizing land, the number of enemies is also increasing. Behind every success, the distance from failure is one point closer.

The tolerance of all countries has a bottom line. In the history of World War I, it was definitely not just because countries saw the threat of Germany that they launched the war.

What's more is that Germany's continuous expansion has provoked the nerves of all countries. Once or twice involves little benefit, everyone will bear it. After ten or eight times, there is nothing to say, of course it is to beat him up.

If the government of William II could hold back, not to stimulate the British, and pretend to be a grandson for a few more years, would the situation be so bad?

The answer is: no!

As long as the Germans don't blindly expand their navy and don't rush to pull Italy on board.From the perspective of the outside world, the German-Austrian alliance and the French-Russian agreement are evenly matched. Due to the European continent's balance strategy, it is impossible for John Bull to end in person.

There are no guarantees in other situations, and it can still be done if we strive for an extra ten years.

What does ten years mean?This means that Germany's national strength can be further improved, its population can increase by 1000 million, and its advantage over the salted fish France will be more obvious.

It also means that the Russian Empire has declined more, internal conflicts have become more intense, and the pressure on the Eastern Front has become less.

With one increase and one decrease, even if a complete victory cannot be achieved, France and Russia can be defeated, forcing the British to compromise and share world hegemony together.

There is no if in history. The radical Junker nobles single-handedly created the glory of the Second German Empire, and also buried this empire single-handedly.

Chapter 27 Retreat

Franz has been very busy recently. The economic crisis is coming. He has to cash out most of the properties in his hands. Companies that can go public to collect money have to go up for a ride.

All investments in stocks and bonds must be cleared.If you don't have enough money, how can you buy the bottom?

Franz personally took care of everything that involved huge sums of money.It's all my own money, so I don't care about it and leave it to my subordinates to take care of it. Who can rest assured?

Especially at the critical moment before the outbreak of the economic crisis, the losses caused by any wrong decision-making are astronomical.

Not only personal assets need to be dealt with, but also the properties of the Habsburg family. So many industries are intertwined, and Franz's scalp is a little numb.

This can be regarded as a trouble of happiness. During the past few years of dominating the Habsburg dynasty, the family business has also expanded rapidly, and has invested in many fields.

This is a good thing in normal times, but not necessarily in an economic crisis. Once a decision is made wrong, the results of years of hard work will disappear.

The butterfly effect is powerful. Historically, this economic crisis started in the United States in the second half of 1857. Now Austria, which is rapidly industrializing, has been added. Who knows what the result will be?