Holy Roman Empire

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Russians and passed on the news that Britain and France were getting closer. I think the tsarist government will understand."

If you don't understand it, you can't. Without Austria's money and materials, the tsarist government would not have the financial resources to continue the war.

……

Downing Street Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Gerston is in a very unhappy mood now, and said in a cold tone: "Raul, call the cabinet members to come over for a meeting".

Franz believed that the British made concessions on the issue of the Spanish throne in order to keep the Ottoman Empire. In fact, the London government did not make a decision so quickly.

Austria is a threat, and France is also a threat. No matter which one is allowed to become bigger, it will threaten the interests of Britain.

Unless there is no way, otherwise the London government will not compromise with the French.

After the British in the original time and space fell to the Allies, or the German Empire expanded its navy, they felt threatened, and they had been swaying until then.

Now Austria has not greatly expanded its navy. The size of the navy has always been lower than that of the French, and the total tonnage ranks third in the world.

From the standpoint of the British, both France and Austria are huge threats.However, these two threats have common weaknesses, and they must develop land power at the same time. On the European continent, the two countries also contain each other, and the pressure on the London government is not great.

……

Prime Minister Gerston asked: "Your Excellency, the Marquis, didn't you tell me that the French are busy fighting with each other and have no intention of participating in international affairs?

What's going on now, we have contained Austria for them, and the French have directly sent troops to interfere in the battle for the Spanish throne.

I really can't imagine how much sensation this news would cause if it got out. "

Marquis Maclean was also about to cry without tears. He really did not expect that the French in the infighting would suddenly make this move.

It has to be said that the French candidates have a good time.Britain and Austria had conflicts over the Ottoman issue, and the two countries had no time to intervene in the battle for the Spanish throne because of mutual restraint.

"Your Excellency, this is our misjudgment and underestimating the ambitions of the French. This is the end, now we must find a way to deal with it, or we will create the biggest joke of the century.

In the current situation, we can only choose one of two.Either join forces with the French to keep the Ottoman Empire; or join forces with Austria to force the French to give up interfering in the Spanish succession.

My personal suggestion is to keep the Ottoman Empire first, and the problem of Spain will grow in Japan.There are no permanent allies in politics. Today the Spanish government can be pro-French, and they can be pro-British tomorrow.

If the Ottoman Empire is destroyed, it will be difficult to resurrect it.Without the restraint of the Ottoman Empire, Austria can expand to Central Europe with all its strength, and the European balance is likely to be broken. "

There is another reason why the Marquis of MacLean did not say, and that is that the intervention in the Near Eastern War has already begun.If it stops now, it means that the intervention fails and will be criticized by the opposition party.

Chapter 152 The Shocked Number

There is no doubt that the London government finally chose to compromise with the French, which is determined by interests.

The timing of the French candidates is too good. If the London government does not compromise, the Paris government may turn around and trade with Austria.

Although the French are also worried that Austria will become bigger after annexing the Ottoman Empire, and the possibility of making a deal with the Vienna government is very small, the London government still dare not gamble.

If it does happen, it also means that France and Austria have reached a strategic understanding, which would be a disaster for the British.

At the same time as the compromise, the London government has also raised its vigilance against the French.The Paris government in the infighting can still put them together. If the infighting is over, then what?

……

At the London Peace Conference, Minister Hummel was also a little tired of coping with the joint pressure from Britain and France.

"For world peace, we can end this war, but the Ottoman Empire must return the land that occupied us and be responsible for this war."

Austria conceded, and many were relieved.If it is really hard to go down, things will be difficult to do.Forced intervention is easier said than done.

Let the European countries wave their flags and shout, but let them fight for the Ottoman Empire, then forget it!Sometimes spittle stars can kill people, and politicians have to think twice for their own reputation.

Minister Hummel, who had a gloomy face, also breathed a sigh of relief. The scene was finally coming to an end.In order not to show his flaws, he has to strain his nerves every day, which is not easy.

Before waiting for the representatives of the Ottoman Empire to speak, Marquis Maclean made the call for them first: "Thank you for your efforts for world peace, history will remember all this.

War is brutal and lads go down every moment.For their safety, I propose to sign a truce to stop the war first.The remaining issues will be discussed later. "

From the standpoint of the British, it was enough to keep the Ottoman Empire.As for the return of territory and accountability for the war, those are all minor issues.

The loser bears the responsibility of the war, which is European practice.Although the return of the territory is a bit nonsense, it is not impossible to negotiate, who made the Ottoman Empire lose?

In this age of the weak, being weak is the original sin.Rather than wrestling with these issues, it would be better for the Ottoman Empire to end the war earlier.

Minister Hummel nodded: "No problem, but we only sign the armistice for half a month. If no agreement is reached within half a month, the war will continue."

From beginning to end, he did not ask the opinion of the Russian representative.It is not Hummel's monopoly, nor is the relationship between the two countries deteriorating.The main reason is that the two countries had an agreement before the outbreak of the war, and Austria was responsible for resolving diplomatic issues.

When the Russians wanted to get involved, that was when the armistice treaty was signed and the distribution of benefits was involved.Until then, diplomacy between the two countries on the Near East must be consistent.

Marquis Maclean said: "Half a month is too short. There are too many issues involved in this war. Why don't we stop the war for half a year!"

Minister Hummel shook his head and gave the half-month deadline to put pressure on the Ottoman Empire to make greater concessions.

"Your Excellency Minister, don't forget that war has a cost, and every day it drags on it costs a lot of money.

According to the current coalition force of 33.6 troops, even if we do not launch an attack, we will spend 58.6 Aegis every day.

This cost needs to be borne by the Ottoman Empire. If the Ottoman government thinks it can afford it, we can also talk about it slowly. "

There is no doubt that the number of troops is roughly correct, and the cost is what Minister Hummel casually said.If you don't attack, you will spend 58.6 Aegis every day, and the quartermaster has already been investigated.

Although Austria is not poor, there are no local tyrants to this level.In the case of no attack, the main expenses are the living costs and salaries of soldiers.

The Vienna government promised to provide supplies to the Russian army, but did not say that it would pay them.The Austrian army in the Middle East does not have to be paid by everyone, and the pay of the cannon fodder is just a trophy.

There are only tens of thousands of regular troops who really get paid, including conscripts who only need to pay a small amount of combat allowances, which is only [-] to [-] Aegis in the sky.

The cost of living is easier to calculate. More than 30 troops consume at most more than 200 tons of food every day, plus some vegetables and meat products, [-] tons of supplies are enough, even if you add freight, it is not much more expensive.

Others can watch the fun, but Ottoman Foreign Minister Albiaqi can't. If this number is calculated, it will be enough to make the Ottoman Empire lose its pants.

"Your Excellency Minister, this figure is too exaggerated. Even if all the soldiers eat steak every day, they can't spend so much money."

As soon as he finished speaking, Albiaqi realized that it was not good and was led astray.In the negotiation, it is best to avoid being led by the nose by the opponent, which will fall into a passive state.

Hummel smiled slightly and said nonsense: "Isn't this worried that the soldiers will not adapt to the soil and conditions? All the supplies, including drinking water, are shipped from the soldiers' hometowns, so the cost is naturally a little higher."

Everyone rolled their eyes, and the supplies were shipped from the soldier's hometown.Not to mention soldiers, even officers don't have this treatment.

What's more, with the traffic of this era, even if someone did go for luck, the vegetables and fruits would all rot on the way.

British Foreign Secretary Marquis MacLean frowned and brought the topic back: "Your Excellency Minister, your navy has blocked the Eastern Mediterranean, and now everyone's trade with the Ottoman Empire has come to a standstill, can you restore trade routes during the armistice?

The situation in the Ottoman country is very bad, especially the food problem is imminent, and human tragedies are constantly being staged every day. "

"Removing the blockade" is the core of the problem. As for the issue of military spending, it will be better to wait until the end of the armistice.Whatever the Austrians ask for, the Ottoman Empire has no money anyway.

Even if a contract for sky-high compensation is signed, a word of no money is enough.

The British were not prepared to pay for the Ottoman Empire, and the Austrians were dreaming if they wanted to get reparations from the poor and financially collapsed Sudanese government.

In contrast, lifting the blockade is much more important.Ottoman refugees are everywhere. If there is no material to enter, who knows how long the Sudanese government can last?

Hummel shook his head: "No, the main purpose of blocking the coastline is for everyone's safety. Now we have put a lot of mines around the Ottoman port, and there is no way to ensure the safety of the ship.

If the Ottoman Empire is short of food or other materials, they can communicate with us, and we can sell a batch of agricultural products at a low price to them for emergency. "

Letting go of the blockade will not give the Ottoman Empire a chance to recover?The crowd tactics of the Sudanese government have not been carried forward, and the biggest problem is the lack of weapons and equipment.

In the style of the British, it is almost inevitable to open the arms warehouse and sell a batch of old antiques to the Ottoman Empire, increasing the difficulty of negotiation.

The low price promised by Minister Hummel to sell supplies is a joke.Buying supplies from a warring enemy is simply a joke.

If nothing else, the Sudanese government is short of arms now. Will the Vienna government sell them?

Well, this question is really hard to say.If the price is high enough, maybe the Vienna government will sell it too.Who made it the Russians who fought hard in Asia Minor?

Marquis MacLean did not dwell too deeply on the issue of lifting the blockade, although he could be sure that the Austrians were not throwing mines around, but as long as the merchant ships passed by, they would be struck by mines.

This has already been tried by unbelieving capitalists. Except for a few lucky ones who escaped disaster and made a fortune, the rest went into the sea to feed the fish.

Whether it was a mine or not, no one knows.Anyway, the ship was destroyed, and it didn't matter how it was destroyed.

After some haggling, the truce was extended to a month.At the same time, Minister Hummel also promised to sell [-] tons of food at a low price to the Ottoman Empire to avoid another humanitarian crisis.

This is a really low price, [-] percent lower than international food prices.Of course, the price of food can be reduced, but the price of freight must not be saved.

During the war, everyone risked their lives to transport food, how could the freight be saved?If it is not increased by dozens of times from the normal level, it will not meet the business rules.

……

Hummel: "Our requirements are not high, and the goal of launching this war is only to regain the homeland of Jerusalem.

This war can be ended as long as your kingdom returns the kingdom of Jerusalem and pays us for the damage caused to us over the years.

Counting from 1517, up to now, the total is 357 years. According to the calculation of 100 million Aegis per year, there is a total of 3.57 million Aegis.

In these 357 years, at least 300 million people have died in the hands of your country, and the pension is calculated at 600 Aegis per person, totaling 1.8 million Aegis.

Before your country occupied Jerusalem, it was a fertile land, and now it has become a great desert, causing irreparable damage to the geographical environment, and it is necessary to…”

When Hummel said the conditions, everyone was dumbfounded.If you calculate the compensation like this, you can't even afford to sell the Ottoman Empire.

Unsurprisingly, the final figure came to an astonishing 30.62 billion Aegis.Perhaps realizing that it was too much, Hummel took the initiative to take a fraction and only asked for a compensation of 30 billion Aegis.

Everyone knows that this is not for compensation, and the Ottoman Empire can't pay any money. The main purpose is to cede land.Everyone was still stunned by the amazing operation of Minister Hummel.

Ottoman Foreign Minister Albiaqi immediately retorted: "Your Excellency Minister, the account cannot be calculated like this. We did not seize Jerusalem from your country, and there is no so-called liability between us."

It has been less than 300 years since the crown of Jerusalem fell to the Habsburg dynasty, and the Habsburg family never ruled Jerusalem.Not to mention Austria, there has never been a so-called sovereign relationship between the two sides.

……

Chapter 153 Can't solve the problem, so...

Despite the huge disparity in terms of conditions between the two sides, the negotiation went very smoothly under the reconciliation of all parties.

It is impossible to lose money. Even if the Sudanese government is willing to lose money, they can't come up with it. The war has already shattered their wallets.

The current Ottoman Empire is actually financially bankrupt. Not only is the payment of international debts suspended, but even the salaries of domestic public officials cannot be paid.

Austria did not start this war to blackmail the war reparations, although an astronomical figure was shouted, it was only a sky-high asking price.

It is also a common practice in continental Europe to cede land without money.In fact, there is nothing to talk about in this regard, and it is impossible to spit out what has been eaten.

Austria's requirements are not high. In addition to the 10,000+ square kilometers of land in the occupied area, Jerusalem and the Arabian Peninsula have also been added.

The Ottoman Empire had long since lost its actual control over the Arabian Peninsula, and all Austria wanted was the legitimacy to rule the Arabian Peninsula in name only.

The real headache for the Sudanese government is Jerusalem. This is not a strategic or economic issue. The declining Ottoman Empire is no longer qualified to talk about the Middle East strategy. It is mainly a religious trouble.

On this issue, European countries did not support them.Politicians are human beings, and they also have emotions and desires. It is important to contain Austria, but it is not worth it to put yourself in.

No one can bear the charge of betraying the Holy Land.Support the Ottoman Empire on this issue, and the spit of the people can spray them to death.

Normally, such contentious negotiations would go on for a long time, but unfortunately the internal contradictions of the Ottoman Empire continued to intensify, and the war refugees were devouring the country.

Austria can afford it, but the Sudanese government cannot.If the war is not ended soon and the refugees are sent back to resume production, the spring ploughing next year will be over.

As an agricultural country, the Ottoman Empire's wealth is not strong, and the war has exhausted its wealth.Once the spring ploughing cannot proceed smoothly, they will not be able to withstand the famine in the coming year.

By contrast, negotiations between the Ottoman Empire and the Russians stalled.The tsarist government not only wanted to recover the Caucasus region lost in the last war, but also wanted to get the Black Sea Strait, and also put forward a demand for reparations.

From the standpoint of the Russians, their demands are in line with actual needs.Alexander II needed to give a big victory to offset the bad effects of the previous defeat in the war.

The war has been won, and the Caucasus, which was lost last time, must be brought back.For the Russian Empire, the strategic location of the Black Sea Strait is very important, and the tsarist government has no way to let it go.

The tsarist government was so poor that it wanted to claim war reparations to make up its finances.There are too many demands, and the Ottoman Empire naturally cannot accept them.

Austria and the Russians are still allies, and this war was launched jointly. The negotiations between Russia and Turkey have not ended, and the armistice treaty will naturally not be signed.

Franz was also shocked when he spoke to the lion of the tsarist government. He finally understood why everyone's evaluation of the Russians was "greedy".

This is not ordinary greed. If the Russians sent troops alone to achieve the current results, then the conditions of the tsarist government are barely reasonable, but the problem is that they do not have such strong strength.

As long as Austria stops distributing logistics materials, the Russian army on the front line will collapse soon, and the tsarist government now has no money to labor for expeditions.

Franz did not think that Alexander II was a fool. The tsarist government must be aware of such obvious reasons, so it is intriguing to continue to insist on such excessive conditions.

"What do the Russians say, are they going to continue the war?"

Now is the best time to destroy the Ottoman Empire. With the hatred between the Russians and the Ottoman Empire, it is not surprising that the tsarist government wants to take the opportunity to kill them.

Foreign Secretary Weisenberg: "Your Majesty, the tsarist government seems to be wavering. They are worried about international pressure and don't want to just let the Ottomans go.

With the current situation, every day the war drags on will bring heavy losses to the Ottomans.Despite the armistice, the Russian troops on the front did not stop sabotage.

Expel the surrounding people, tamper with farmland, roads, water conservancy projects, destroy urban infrastructure, blow up Islamic mosques..."

These are the conventions of the Russian-Turkish war. Once it is determined that it cannot be occupied, it will be destroyed.Franz chose to partner with the Russians. In addition to reducing the cost of war, he needed the Russians to draw hatred.

The international image also needs to be set off. After the atrocities of the Russians, even if the Austrian army is occasionally out of line, it is not a big deal.