Holy Roman Empire

As soon as the Civil War broke out, he would sell part of it to the southern government at a high price, and of course it was also possible to sell it to the northern government.

The bias is based on the fact that the South is at a disadvantage. The best choice is to let the Americans kill each other. It is very necessary to maintain the balance of power between the two sides.

As for saying how big the advantage of the North is, it will definitely win, which is actually very nonsense.You can see how long the Civil War has been fought. If the strength of both sides is protracted, how could it be possible to fight for four years.

The North's advantage lies in industry and population, and the South's advantage lies in military affairs.The capitalists did not have the courage to carry their guns to the battlefield, but the plantation owners did.

The United States is a country of immigrants, and the people's sense of identity is not high.The Americans in later generations advertised that people actively joined the army, but in fact most of them were actively enlisted in the army.

Especially the new immigrants, who originally came here during the Great Revolution to escape the chaos of war, and now they have to be sent to the battlefield, no wonder they are willing!

"Your Majesty, the Bavaria is expected to be completed by the end of this year, and the remaining ships will not be completed until the beginning of next year. All these warships will be in service around May next year." Secretary of the Navy Felkos replied

After thinking about it, Franz found that there was still plenty of time.No matter how the butterfly effect is, the American Civil War cannot be over in a few months, and the Austrian Navy still has time to rush over.

"The Ministry of the Navy's global cruising plan can be launched. Seven ironclad ships will be sent to visit the world, starting in Asia, then going to the Americas, and finally returning to European countries."

To gain a sense of presence, it is best to go to overseas countries, so as not to stimulate the sensitive nerves of European countries.

After this lap is over, the warships are almost sold out, and when they return to Europe, they won't be too eye-catching.

Volume IV Civil War

Chapter 1 The American Civil War Begins

Since entering the era of ironclad ships, the Austrian Navy has been very prominent.The continuous expansion of the Austrian navy forced European countries to follow suit.

If it hadn't been for the outbreak of the Indian rebellion to divert the energy of the British, the Vienna government would have felt the pressure long ago.

Some people in the London government are clamoring for the three-strong standard. (Exceeding the naval tonnage of the second, third, and fourth naval powers)

Of course, these people are just talking, in fact, the British have never done it.

Don't talk about the three-strong standard now, even if it is the two-strong standard, Franz doubts whether the British can achieve it.

The combined total tonnage of the French and Austrian Navy has approached that of the Royal Navy.Taking into account the factors of ironclad ships, the strength of the Royal Navy has been unable to achieve a protracted advantage over France and Austria.

However, after the Indian rebellion is suppressed, the British should be able to achieve the two-power standard for a long time to come.In the short term, Franz is not going to explode the navy, so as not to stimulate the sensitive nerves of the British.

No, it's already irritating, but I just don't have time to pay attention to it for the time being.

If it weren't for the tsarist government's lack of financial resources, Franz was ready to help the Russians explode the navy and stimulate the London government again.

This is not contradictory, as long as the British are stimulated, they will invest more financial resources in ironclad ships.But in fact, these warships are only transitional products, and the more they are built, the greater the loss when they are replaced.

If it wasn't for the purpose of intervening in the Civil War, Franz would not have produced so many ironclad ships.In terms of warship performance, it won't be long before these warships will be eliminated.

Considering that the arms race may lead to war, Franz is not prepared to be the first bird now.Since it is Britain and Russia fighting for hegemony, of course the Russians have to go.

Before unifying the German region, Franz was not prepared to directly confront the British, which would outweigh the gains.

……

Washington, the election that will determine the fate of America is over.Franz's butterfly effect did not affect this election, and Republican Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States with an absolute majority.

The emergence of a president representing the interests of northern capitalists aroused panic and hatred among southern plantation owners.In order to protect their own interests, they began to connect in series.

On December 1860, 12, representatives of southern plantation owners held a meeting in South Carolina and decided to withdraw from the Union.

And also issued a proclamation against slavery, welcoming the states to withdraw from the Union and join the newly formed country-the League of American States.

After the news reached Europe, it immediately caused a sensation.Franz immediately convened a cabinet meeting to discuss countermeasures.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg analyzed: "The conflict between the North and the South in the United States has been going on for a long time, and the results of this election have shown that the planters in the South have completely lost in the political struggle.

In order to protect their own interests, they had to withdraw from the Federation and form a new country.

From the perspective of US law, these states have the right to withdraw.

But the capitalists in the north will definitely not agree, they also want to obtain cheap industrial raw materials and markets.If these states are allowed to run away, all their previous efforts will be in vain.

Unless the northern government made a compromise, it was impossible for the southern planters to go back. Lincoln's appeal was really just a show.

This split between the North and the South was not only due to the abolition of slavery, but also the core issue of tariffs, which he never mentioned.

If Lincoln had promised to reduce tariffs on farm products, the resolve of southern planters for independence might have been shaken.Now the two sides can only speak with war.

With the outbreak of the American Civil War, half of our American colonial strategy has been realized, and a divided America is more in line with our interests.

However, the comprehensive strength gap between the North and the South is a bit big. Now there are only 7 states that have joined the Southern Government, and I am afraid that they will not be the opponents of the Northern Government. "

There is nothing to say about splitting the United States, and the Vienna government absolutely supports it.This is even more necessary after the start of the Americas strategy.

Interior Minister Wendisch Gretz said calmly: "On the surface, the northern government is indeed stronger.

But in fact, not all the northern states are willing to participate in this war, and most Americans do not want a war to break out.We can only rely on the public opinion controlled by capitalists to fool the people into the battlefield.

It is different in the southern states. They are driven to a dead end.It is related to vital interests, and the enthusiasm of the people in the south to join the army is much higher.

In the short term, the southern government is more likely to have an advantage in the military; if the war drags on, then the northern manpower advantage will gradually be transformed into military strength.

I think as long as the southern commander is smarter, take Washington as soon as the war breaks out, and then negotiate with the northern government.

Anyway, everyone likes to see upstarts being unlucky, and European countries will definitely support the division of the United States. "

Prime Minister Felix questioned: "This is very difficult to do. From a military point of view, it is indeed possible for the southern government to occupy Washington in the first place.

However, there was nothing they could do to prevent the U.S. government from withdrawing.There are obviously more federal states on the northern side, and military operations in the south will stimulate everyone's nerves, allowing neutral states to join in.

The strength of the southern government is limited. If they can't conquer a few states, they will become exhausted.The northern government, which has reacted, will still overwhelm the south with its strong strength.

In fact, the crux of the problem now is not how the North and the South fight, but who can draw more allies.

There are 35 states in the United States, 16 of which are slave states, and only 7 have declared independence. The political activities of the two sides will determine the outcome of this war.

If the southern government can win over the 16 slave states to become independent together, and then lobby a few states to be neutral, then the strength of the two sides will be closer.

If the strength of the two sides is equal, it is not impossible to solve the problem peacefully under the intervention of European countries. "

Foreign Minister Weissenberg explained: "Your Excellency, this ideal situation may not happen.

The southern government's diplomatic work is simply failing. I don't know where they got their self-confidence, and they haven't asked us for help until now.

I have no illusions about how many states they'll be able to convince to join.In terms of public opinion, the capitalists in the north occupy a dominant position. If they don't work hard enough, many slave states may fall to the northern government.

After all, the capitalists in some slave states are not small.If the response is slow, I am afraid that the federal states that were originally inclined to them will also be pulled over by the northern government. "

What is the self-confidence of the southern government?Of course it's cotton!

In this era, about one-fifth of the population in the UK relied directly or indirectly on cotton textiles, 80.00% of which were provided by the southern states.

It is absolutely impossible for the London government to tolerate problems in the cotton supply chain. Unfortunately, they ignored the bumper cotton harvest in 1860, and 50% of the cotton on the London market was backlogged.

This negligence is very fatal. Many capitalists regard the blockade in the north as a good opportunity to deal with the backlog and make huge profits.

With the hind legs of these people and the fact that the impact on the cotton spinning industry was not fatal, the London government fell into controversy and did not intervene with all its strength in the American Civil War in the first place.

Next, after finally reaching an agreement with France and Spain and deciding to intervene, the French put it together again.Coupled with the public relations of the northern government, the London government once again fell into hesitation.

After a few hesitations, cotton was grown in India and Egypt.The interest of British capitalists in the cotton of the southern government was greatly reduced, and international intervention was thus delayed.

By the time the London government made a decision, the southern government was already powerless.

Facing the southern government that failed in diplomacy, Franz also had a very headache.He didn't know how to take advantage of the advantages he already had, and ruined the opportunity in vain.

If the southern government is more active, whether it is out of strategic needs or out of interests, everyone will support them.

In any case, in order to hit the Americans, Franz can only pinch his nose and admit it now, and he still has to help the southern government voluntarily.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicates with Britain and France, and we will act together to persuade more livestock states to join the southern government. Presumably they will not mind cheating the Americans.

Find a few more newspapers to break the news: the news of the bumper cotton harvest and slow sales, and by the way, emphasize the news of the soaring cotton production in India, Egypt, West Africa and other regions.

Find a few experts and scholars to analyze the seriousness of the problem, so that those in power in the southern government can wake up and know that their cotton weapons are not reliable. "

In addition to cotton, there are many agricultural products that are the top products of Americans, but these things are also produced in other places.

Even Franz wondered whether to send someone to burn the British cotton stocks.This idea just passed away, mainly because there were too many cotton warehouses, and it was impossible for a few people to burn them all.

However, most of the cotton in the south has not yet been shipped out. As long as the southern government is vigilant and suspends subsequent cotton transportation, the British government will still have to be tied to the southern government ship.

After all, whether it is India or Egypt, it takes time to grow cotton, and domestic factories cannot afford to wait.

Historically, in the early days of the war, the northern government proposed to intercept this part of the cotton transport fleet and cut off the trade of the southern government.

However, in order not to offend the British, the Lincoln government chose to let it go.Even at the outbreak of the Civil War, the Northern blockade of cotton shipments was not tight.

Otherwise, if John Bull's cotton supply was really cut off, the British would have fought it long ago.

There is no doubt that although the British Army is not very good, it can still deal with the Americans.

Only if the Royal Navy blocks the coast of the United States and sends a bunch of Indian soldiers up, it can kill the northern government.

As for the logistical supplies, it was far less terrible than imagined.The most important food can be provided by the southern government, and there is no shortage of these things.

What needs to be transported from the mainland is weapons and ammunition. The consumption of ammunition in wars in this era is not large. As the largest industrial country in the world, the British can fully afford it.

To put it bluntly, the northern government only has more than 2000 million people.As soon as the war broke out, several states were blown up by the South.The war potential that the northern government can unleash is also limited.

The power of the British to suppress the Indian rebellion this time is enough to rewrite the outcome of the Civil War.The American soldiers who had just picked up the gun and were sent to the battlefield had no combat effectiveness at all.

Chapter 2 International Recognition

By the end of 1860, the total population of the United States had reached 3160 million.Among them, the northern free state has a population of about 1870 million, and the southern slave state has a population of 1290 million, including 500 million slaves.

Franz's butterfly effect still played a role, and the strength balance between the north and the south has changed slightly, but it still cannot change the fact that the north is strong and the south is weak.

In the Austrian embassy in Washington, representatives from Britain, France, Austria and Western countries gathered together.Drucker, the Austrian ambassador to the United States, took the lead and said: "I invite you to come here today, mainly to discuss the issue of southern independence.

At this critical moment of change, it is necessary for us to remain consistent in order to better protect everyone's interests. "

I don't know when it started, everyone discovered the benefits of the principle of unanimity among the great powers. Usually, as long as they do this, everyone can make a lot of money.

Everyone fell into contemplation, as if they were weighing whether it would be more beneficial to work together or to work alone.

As for the abolition of slavery, it is simply not within the scope of everyone's consideration.Don't look at the earth-shattering slogans of "abolition of slavery" in European countries. In fact, everyone is interested in watching the excitement.

In recent years, the United States has expanded at a speed like blowing up balloons, which has aroused many people's concerns. The theory of American threat is also a hot topic in Europe.

In order to attract immigrants, the propaganda made by the Americans, under the guidance of those with a heart, has become evidence of the threat of the United States.

Because the communication remains unchanged, the adverse impact on public opinion is beyond the reach of the U.S. government.He tried to guide public opinion several times, but was caught instead, and he was in a mess.

British representative Mark Oliver said: "Our four countries have huge trade with the United States, and a stable America is more in line with our interests.

Everyone joined hands to intervene to prevent the outbreak of the American Civil War, which is conducive to world peace and stability. "

The attitude of the British is not surprising. The British Empire could not be separated from the cheap industrial raw materials provided by the Americans, especially cotton.

Not only the British, but the three countries of France and West are all major cotton importers.Even if the cotton harvest in West Africa is bumper, Austria can only be barely self-sufficient.

Spanish representative Francisco added: "A divided America is necessary to preserve world peace.

From 1783 to the present, the territorial area of ​​the United States has expanded from more than 80 square kilometers to nearly 800 million square kilometers. If it is not contained, it will not be long before they will gradually eat up the entire America.

Everyone is familiar with the United States and should know the development potential of this country.According to their development speed, they will catch up with Europe in less than 50 years, and then surpass us with their huge size.

You know, our four countries together, the mainland is less than one-third of the United States.They have almost no shortage of resources, and they can't find where to start if they want to limit them.

Now is the only chance. If the United States can solve its internal problems, the future world hegemon will be booked. "

Francisco's statement is almost a replica of the US threat theory.With the development of the United States, Spain has been the biggest victim of its continuous external expansion in recent years.

In particular, the Americans stretched their hands into Cuba again, trying to seize another Spanish colony, which aroused the hatred of the Spanish.

Except for the expansion movement of the Americans, which has little impact on Austria, Britain and France are also the losers.The French were forced to buy the Louisiana area, and the British lost even more places.

French representative Alfred sneered: "This is too alarmist, isn't the United States able to become the world's hegemon?"

Austrian representative Drucker said with a smile: "Who knows? However, the speed of American development in recent years is obvious to all. They are constantly sucking blood from Europe.

Everyone wanted to send immigrants to the colonies, but they were cut off by the Americans a lot, right?Hundreds of thousands of Europeans immigrate to the United States every year. Everyone knows what this means!

If the northern government succeeds, they will have the most abundant resources in the world, the cheapest industrial raw materials, and a large amount of labor, and they will soon complete industrialization.

In the commodity market, we have added another competitor.It may not be long before the Americas are flooded with Made in America.

Capital knows no borders, and perhaps many capitalists are already considering moving to the United States.If these people also come over, then our technical advantage will no longer exist.

You know, they're also stuck with our industrial raw materials, like -- cotton.

Even if everyone finds a new source of raw materials, the production cost will hardly be lower than that of the United States. It is reasonable for capitalists to go to the United States to build factories. "