Holy Roman Empire

However, as a defeated country, the Campbell government had no choice.The war has just ended, and all kinds of troubles have come to the door.There are a lot of things that are inextricably linked, and there is no time for vacation.

Even this kind of international event that everyone rushed to participate in, now there are no active sign-ups, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must pick out an unlucky person.

In this regard, the Vienna government is still very talkative, no matter who is sent, and regardless of the level of the representative, as long as it is an individual who can sign on behalf of the British Empire.

It is also crucial for the Campbell government.Notorious as it is, less is better than more.

People are forgetful, and time can dilute everything.Especially for other members of the cabinet, as long as they reduce their sense of presence, they are likely to be forgotten by the public in three to five years.

Only the prime minister and those who signed it, especially the representatives who signed the surrender document, are remembered by everyone. The hat of "traitor" is almost certain.

This can be regarded as a return to the British government's awareness of current affairs.Just like World War I, because the Germans voluntarily surrendered, the Allies also gave up pursuing war criminals.

If the British government chooses to fight to the end, it will be the treatment of World War II.As the heads of government of a defeated country, every one of them must go to a military court.

"Okay, Prime Minister. I will arrange it when I come down, and there will be no delay."

Foreign Minister Adam said calmly.Anyway, the conditions for the armistice had been secretly agreed upon early on, and some adjustments to the details were made at the Vienna Peace Conference.

As a defeated country, Britain no longer has the right to speak at the Vienna Peace Conference, and it doesn't matter whoever is sent there.

The high-level government is not feeling well, and the people at the bottom have not had a good Christmas either.The war is over, but the trade blockade of various countries has not yet been lifted.

The reserves of the British Isles have long been exhausted. Everyday items such as candy, coffee, tea, cigarettes, and drinks have now become luxuries.

Even to celebrate Christmas, the British government has increased the supply of supplies. Each person only has an extra liter of milk, a piece of [-]-gram bread, and a small dried fish. The rest of the food is potatoes, corn, soybeans and other miscellaneous grains.

Not only is the quantity of supplies insufficient, but the quality is even more touching, and it tastes like feed.

Combined with the government's mandatory slaughter of animals and the prohibition of wine making in the first half of the year, the relief food distributed now is likely to be the rations of those animals.

It's good to have something to eat, and there is no picky capital in the war years.As long as the enemy does not open the blockade for a day, the supply of materials in the British Isles will never return to normal.

……

Deep in the alley, in an ordinary small courtyard, the James family is spending this special Christmas.

Looking at the food on the table, James, who forced a smile on his face, was heartbroken at the moment.

In order to spend this Christmas satisfactorily, he went to three black markets in a row. However, he was short of money, and finally stopped because of the high price.

No sweets, no cakes, no turkey, just a few loaves of bread and a carton of milk, plus a baked potato each.

Such a standard is the living conditions of the people at the bottom before the war.James' family background is slightly better, and his daily life standard is much higher. At least sauces are indispensable for every meal.

Seeing his son, who has always been a picky eater, eating happily at this moment, James only felt sad.

Chapter 168 Politics is also Sophisticated

Washington, different feelings on the same Christmas.The impact of this war on the United States is relatively small. Except for the slight impact on import and export trade, the United States is still peaceful in general.

However, this is only the appearance.A political misalignment dealt a fatal blow to the United States.

Washington has applied to the Continental Alliance many times, hoping to withdraw from this war. Unfortunately, the Continental Alliance has not responded for a long time.

Those who are familiar with politics know that they are not afraid of the enemy's appetite, but they are afraid of being ignored by the enemy.With a big appetite, there is still room for negotiation; being ignored, even if you want to talk, you can't start.

With the surrender of the British Empire, the last hope of struggling the United States was tossed away.

The strength of the United States is the highest in the Americas, but compared with the Continental League, it is a small bean.

The people are still celebrating Christmas happily, not aware of the approaching crisis at all, but the White House is helpless.

"Has the Vienna government responded?"

President Theodore Roosevelt asked expectantly.

Secretary of State Pete Niedermeier: "The answer given by the Foreign Office of the Holy Roman Empire was, let's wait for further notice and everything will be resolved at the Vienna Peace Conference.

Judging from the current situation, we are afraid that this time we will be sad.The main reason is that the British surrendered so quickly that we had no time to react. "

There is no doubt that "the British surrender soon" is just an excuse.The reason why the United States is really put on small shoes is that its own development potential is too great.

Of course, the siege of Austrian Central America by the Allied Forces of the United States in the Organization of America was also one of the reasons why they received special care.

Now the British Empire has declined, but there is still a lot of accumulated heritage. The overall industrial strength is second only to Shinra, and it is still at the top level in the world in certain subdivisions.

Just like the Soviet Union after the collapse, whoever inherits the legacy of the Soviet Union will be a military power second only to the United States.

The United States is too closely connected with the British, or the capital of the two countries is too closely connected.After the war, British capital was bound to leave the country to find a more suitable living space.

Although the European continent is close, the capital power of the European world itself is not weak, and there are more powerful nobles restricting it, which is obviously not suitable for them to cross the river.

Looking at the world, there are not many countries that can accommodate the transfer of British capital.Considering racial factors, only the United States, the Confederacy, and Brazil can really accept British capital.

As for the countries within Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela, the population is too small to accommodate too much capital at all.

Digging deeper reveals that Brazil is impossible.Not only is the population limited, but there are also a lot of internal conflicts. A revolution may break out at any time, and the uncertainty is too high.

Although the situation in the Confederate States is slightly better, they are playing the plantation economy, and there is obviously not enough room for capital operations.

The United States is the best choice, whether it is the population, resources, or social background, it is suitable for the development of capital.

If there is no external intervention, the first choice for British capital after evacuating from the mainland is the United States.

Once the capitalists transfer capital and technology to the United States, it will be another rising emerging power, which is very unfavorable to Shinra's global layout.

It takes too much effort to specifically intercept capitalists one by one, and it is still impossible to guard against.In contrast, it is much simpler to attack the United States directly.

As the so-called fascination with the authorities, the Americans who were deeply involved in it did not think so much at all.After all, the strength of the United States these days is limited, and there are still a lot of internal conflicts. It is really not worthy of the hegemony's fear.

"Next we have to change our strategy, not only to lobby the Vienna government, but also to keep up with other countries' public relations."

Unsure of the reason for being specifically targeted, Theodore Roosevelt had no choice but to treat a dead horse as a living horse doctor and increase the scope of public relations.

This is destined to be a restless Christmas. Almost all the politicians of the member countries of the Ocean Alliance are worried about the future of their own country.

Even if you change jobs in time, there is no exception. "Twenty-five boy" is not popular anywhere.

Due to actual needs during the war, the Vienna government accepted everyone's surrender, which does not mean that everyone can enjoy the treatment of allies.

If you look at the ongoing spoils conference in Vienna, you will know that all the countries participating in the conference were early members of the Continental Union, and none of the latecomers.

The neutral countries that joined the alliance halfway were fine. Although they didn't make much contribution to the war, their political positions finally caught up.

The countries that changed jobs in the later stage are different. With the label of "two or five boys" on their heads, they are destined to be impossible to be trusted.

Especially the unlucky ones who sent troops to participate in the war, not only have to pay for their losses, but they will also be "specially taken care of" in the future.

It's too late to regret, no matter what you do now, you won't be able to make up for the previous political mistakes.Even in order to consolidate relations within the alliance, the Vienna government must "treat" countries differently.

Those who follow along will have meat to eat; those who watch the excitement will continue to watch the excitement when the meat is divided;

……

Time flies by, and the day of the Vienna Peace Conference is getting closer and closer.Delegations from various countries arrived in Vienna one after another, and public opinion was also ignited.

In the face of media interviews, the representatives of the victorious countries were in high spirits, while the representatives of the defeated countries were downcast. These are two completely different landscapes.

Even comic publications that have nothing to do with politics have come out to join in the fun and come up with a series of satirical stories.

For example: "Knight and Robber Series", "Pirate Doomsday", "Animal World Melee"...

There are even more related literary works, and literati and inkmen all over Europe are writing vigorously, writing about this war with extreme exaggeration.

It is completely opposite to the anti-war trend of thought after the World War in the original time and space.It can only be said that it did not hurt everyone. Except for the British who licked their wounds, other European people did not feel deeply.

The casualties were heavy, and that was the number on paper, which couldn't even keep up with the anti-French war.Except for the bombs of the British, which killed a few unlucky people, the European people did not feel that the war was approaching.

The bloodiest wars broke out in the Far East, the South Asian subcontinent, and Africa, and nothing happened in Europe at all.

Although the Continental Alliance also killed nearly a million people, these losses were shared by more than 20 countries, of which the Russian family contributed more than half.

Casualties are not large, and the results are rich, so everyone's feelings are naturally different.

Although there is a lack of classics, compared with the classics created by tragedies, it is obvious that real happiness is more important.

The eyes of the world were all focused on the Vienna Peace Conference, and the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs became busy in an instant, and there was an endless stream of people who came to visit every day.

When it comes to national interests, it is obviously not enough to rely on favors and relationships, but who would not want to have a better relationship with the boss?

After all, this world is a society of human relationships. Impressions and senses are very important when one's own national interests are not involved.

Shinra is now the overlord of the world, even if it is just a word of help, it can often solve the problem.

If it weren't for Shinra's anti-corruption efforts, it is estimated that one of the top officials of the Vienna government counts as one, and all of them will make a lot of money.

Giving gifts to officials is too risky. If a big hat that corrupts Shinra government officials is buckled, it will be over.

If you can't give gifts to ministers, then find a way to give gifts to the emperor.Recently, Franz has been soft-hearted in accepting gifts.

It's not that he wants to accept gifts, it's just that he's a thief in gift giving.In order to give gifts, they entrust relationships everywhere, but the European royal family is also a family, and relatives can always be involved.

It is a beautiful name to strengthen the relationship between relatives. If you don't accept it, you will lose face and hurt the other party's face.

Theoretically speaking, this is a normal exchange between the royal family. According to the tradition of reciprocity, it needs to be paid back in the future.

To put it another way, it becomes a normal courtesy exchange, and it is still the kind that really needs to be paid back.

If he had just succeeded to the throne and was poor and needed cash flow, Franz would naturally not refuse such a gift.

It's different now, there is no shortage of money in the pocket, and receiving gifts is receiving trouble.Not only to appreciate, but also to prepare a gift of considerable value to send back in the future.

It was only in the hand for a while, and the hair was not caught in the end, and the social impact was not good.

The more he thought about it, the more Franz felt that something was wrong. Giving gifts to build relationships was only secondary, and it was clear that the royal families of various countries were taking advantage of the opportunity.

Nominally giving gifts in the names of the royal families of various countries, but the expenses are all paid by the governments of various countries. With his hand, it will be turned around, and it will return to the royal families of various countries in the future, and it will become legal income.

After seeing the truth, Franz still had no choice but to accept it obediently.It can only be said that the emperor cannot escape the human relationship.

There are many royal families in Europe, and not all of them are wealthy, and some are also heavily in debt.

It mainly stems from the fact that private property and national property in the European world are clearly distinguished. The country's money is not equal to the king's money, and the king's money has nothing to do with the government.

The king can control and use the money of the treasury, but he cannot kick it into his own pocket.In addition to the normal annuity, you can only rely on your own business.

If it is a big country, the annuity income is not bad, as long as the population is not too large, it can maintain the normal expenses of the royal family.With a little bit of financial savvy, you can live a very nourishing life.

Small countries are different. The government's fiscal revenue is low, and the king's annuity is naturally not much higher, and it is simply not enough to maintain the monarch's popularity.

But the monarch's face cannot be lost, no one cares about how he lives behind his back, and the decency on the surface must be maintained.

If the annuity is not enough, you can only find a way to fill the hole yourself.If it is managed properly, it will be fine, but if it cannot be managed, it will be a tragedy.

As far as Franz knew, seven or eight royal families were in debt.It's not that they're extravagant, it's mostly just bad luck.

For example: In the states of Italy, except for the Pope who is not short of money, the other monarchs are very poor.

This is the fault of the French. During the war, everyone lost their manor land, and because of the restoration, they exhausted their accumulated wealth, and some even owed a whole lot of debt.

As for why Franz is so clear, it is naturally: as a creditor, it is difficult to figure it out.

The Royal Bank has already postponed them and postponed it again. If it was placed on the heads of ordinary people, they would have been bankrupt and liquidated long ago.

In order to make money, these royal families have become the center of the fashion circle.Fortunately, they also know that they respect their identities and have not become the spokespersons of luxury goods.

No one's integrity is much higher. This kind of opportunity to make a fortune is justifiable. As long as the first company takes the lead, others will naturally follow suit.

Anyway, the more you give away, the more you will recycle in the future, so you can't be generous.However, no matter how reluctant the governments of various countries are, they can only admit that they have caught up with the juncture of benefit distribution after the war.

You can't give it to everyone else, but your family doesn't give it to you, right?

Didn't look, there are still a bunch of people outside who want to give gifts but can't, one or two are almost red-eyed.

Politics is also a matter of sophistication. As the leader of the monarchy world, Franz cannot prevent everyone from getting rich.

Hello, hello, hello, everyone, is the basis for an interest group to maintain long-term relationships.It's just a handy job, and it's natural to help if you can.

If you study carefully, you will find that it can appear on the gift list, and it is the protagonist of this spoils sharing meeting.

I don't know how future generations will evaluate it. Anyway, Franz knows that through a shady transaction, the relationship between Shinra and European countries has become closer.

In fact, this is just a small episode in Vienna and before the meeting.There are also many interest transactions, which are constantly being staged here.

Before the conference even started, the Vienna government signed out more than a hundred large commercial orders, half of which were for arms alone.

The transaction has been completed in advance, and when the Vienna Peace Conference starts, there will be not much to do.

Apart from the fact that the defeated country is still selling miserably and begging for everyone's sympathy, apart from the strong dissatisfaction of the Russians within the Continental Alliance, it is basically harmonious.

Franz himself was amazed that a good international meeting was played into a sophistication and insider trading.

But the reality is like this. The Holy Roman Empire is the only one, and the second child, the Russian Empire, is not only isolated by other countries, but also busy fighting civil wars, and has no energy at all.

In the future, Spain, as the third child, is really too weak. Not to mention wrestling with Shinra, it would be good to be able to maintain the status of an empty power.