Chapter 773: In Search of a Rival |
If someone is celebrating, then someone else must be feeling dejected. While Russia and Austria were celebrating their victory, the atmosphere within the British government was particularly tense.
Being a politician was not easy. No matter how bad he felt, Prime Minister Gladstone had to force himself to send a congratulatory telegram.
There was no choice. The British public was watching. Secretly supporting the Ottoman Empire was one thing, but openly taking a biased stance was unacceptable.
The butterfly effect was becoming more pronounced, and international tensions were not as severe as they had been in the original timeline. As a result, there was a slight improvement in ethical considerations.
On the surface, everyone maintained appearances, but behind the scenes, they were still stabbing each other in the back whenever possible.
At the Prime Minister’s residence on Downing Street, Foreign Secretary George produced a document and said, “This is the agreement we have just reached with the Austrians. It redefines the spheres of influence of our two countries in the Middle East.
In exchange for supporting Austria’s annexation of the Ottoman Empire, we have secured their commitment not to expand further into Persia.”
Did this agreement truly have any significance? Could a piece of paper genuinely restrain Austria?
That depended on how one looked at it. Austria’s annexation of the Ottoman Empire was already a foregone conclusion, something that British opposition could do little to change.
On the other hand, all of this depended on the Austrian government maintaining a good image.
If one day the Austrian government decided to abandon its moral restraint and disregard international pressure, these agreements would be nothing more than worthless paper.
Gladstone took a slow puff of his cigar and said, “It looks like we still have a few years of stability. The Austrians will need time to absorb the Anatolian Peninsula, so this agreement will remain effective in the short term.”
Foreign Secretary George added, “According to intelligence gathered by our embassy, Russia and Austria are engaged in secret negotiations. The exact details are unknown, but it is certainly about more than just postwar spoils.
Not long ago, the Austrian government initiated a large-scale population transfer in the Anatolian Peninsula. So far, over a million people have been expelled, and the process is still ongoing. It seems they intend to empty the Ottoman Empire entirely.
Their true motives remain unclear, but it is certain that they are not doing this out of concern for the safety of the Ottoman population.
We have already sent people to verify the situation. There is no large-scale outbreak of disease in the region, and certainly no Black Death.
Considering the enormous cost of relocating so many people, Austria’s level of commitment to the Anatolian Peninsula is beyond what anyone could have imagined.
It is also worth noting that, despite the war being over, the Russian government has not sent any administrative officials to the Anatolian Peninsula, nor have they shown any intention of establishing governance there.
This is highly unusual. It may be related to Russia’s financial situation, as they likely lack the funds to support postwar reconstruction efforts.
Based on these observations, the Foreign Office believes that the Russians may be considering giving up their share of the Ottoman Empire’s inheritance in exchange for financial compensation from Austria.”
No matter how passive the British Foreign Office may have seemed in previous dealings, they remained at the pinnacle of diplomacy in this era.
Their ability to connect seemingly unrelated events based on surface clues and deduce the underlying motives was a testament to their expertise.
After hearing the explanation, Gladstone stood up and walked over to the map behind him, staring intently at the Anatolian Peninsula. After a long silence, he sighed and said helplessly, “We are in for serious trouble in the future. Without us noticing, Austria has grown too powerful to contain.
By relocating the Ottoman population, the Austrian government is likely preparing to fully incorporate the Anatolian Peninsula into its homeland. When that happens, Vienna and Jerusalem will be part of the same continuous territory.
Look at the map. With the Ottoman Empire gone, aside from lacking Constantinople, how different is Austria’s current sphere of influence from that of the Eastern Roman Empire?”
There were, of course, differences. Italy’s “heel” was missing, as were Bulgaria and the Crimean Peninsula.
However, Austria’s territory extended deep into Central Europe, and it had also colonized a large portion of Africa, controlling a much larger sphere of influence than the Eastern Roman Empire ever did.
In sum, Austria was far stronger. Before the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the implications were not so obvious. Now, anyone who glanced at a map could see what it meant.
First Lord of the Admiralty Astley Cooper Key blurted out, “They are trying to rebuild the Roman Empire!”
He quickly shook his head and corrected himself, “That is impossible. The nations of Europe would never allow it. Doing so would be courting disaster.”
Foreign Secretary George spoke coldly, “Rebuilding Rome is, of course, impossible. However, the Austrian Empire as it stands now is in no way inferior to the Roman Empire.
From Central Europe to the Middle East, all of it is Austrian territory. Once these regions are fully integrated, Austria’s core land area will have doubled.
If we include the Arabian Peninsula, the contiguous landmass under Austrian control will reach five million square kilometers, which is comparable to the Roman Empire at its peak.
And this is only part of the picture. When factoring in their overseas colonies, Austria has already surpassed the Habsburg monarchy at its height.
Unlike past empires, Austria has very few internal troubles. The Austrian government’s unwavering commitment to population relocation ensures that newly acquired territories do not pose governance risks.
This empire is far more stable than the Habsburgs ever were. Hoping for internal collapse is simply unrealistic.
If Austria is allowed to continue its expansion and fully integrate these territories, all of our previous plans will be nothing more than a joke.”
The harsh conditions of the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula may seem unfavorable, but only by comparison. At the very least, they are far more habitable than Russia’s Siberia.
If Austria manages to develop these regions, it is not unreasonable to expect that, given the productivity of this era, they could sustain a population of two hundred million with ease.
And if we include Austrian-controlled Africa, the total carrying capacity could exceed five hundred million, giving Austria a development potential comparable to that of the entire European continent.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Hugh Childers chuckled, “Sir, you are being too pessimistic. A country’s strength is not determined solely by the size of its territory; otherwise, Russia would be the world’s greatest power.
Yet despite having the largest landmass, Russia’s overall strength ranks only fourth in Europe, far from matching its vast territory.
This is not just due to the decay of the Russian government but is largely determined by geography. The harsh climate of the icy north has inherently limited Russia’s economic development.
Austria now faces a similar situation. On the surface, they have gained a vast expanse of land through expansion, but much of it is desert and essentially unusable.
Even the slightly better Anatolian Peninsula has been devastated by war and is barren land for the time being, unable to generate economic benefits in the short term.
To develop their economy, they must first improve the environment. Otherwise, the Austrian government would not have implemented the Land Fallowing Act in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula.
Nature is not so easily altered. After all these years, no significant results have been reported, so the Austrian government’s plan is likely a failure.”
Foreign Secretary George shook his head. “No, the Austrians have seen some success. I am not sure about other areas, but forests have indeed grown extensively outside Jerusalem.
Now, sandstorms are no longer a threat to the city. Even newspapers in London have reported on it, with religious figures calling it a gift from God.
Since the implementation of the Land Fallowing Act, the Austrian-controlled regions have gained at least 200,000 to 300,000 square kilometers of forest and grassland.”
There is nothing surprising about this. With the people gone, former farmlands have become overgrown with grass and flowers, naturally increasing the region’s greenery.
This has created a positive cycle. Without agriculture consuming water resources, vegetation can play its natural role in preventing wind erosion, stabilizing soil, and conserving water. As water resources gradually recover, the expansion of oases follows, leading to a slow restoration of the local ecosystem.
Of course, this kind of recovery is most noticeable in the early stages. It is relatively quick for farmland to turn into grasslands and forests, but further increasing the size of oases becomes much more difficult.
Relying on nature alone to restore the ecosystem is not something that happens overnight. Jerusalem is an exception, primarily driven by political and religious interests.
A declining religion needs miracles to reinforce fading faith, while the Austrian government needs a beautiful Jerusalem to showcase its contribution to the Christian world, enhance its international reputation, and strengthen public support. With these shared interests, both sides worked together to carry out large-scale afforestation outside the city.
Jerusalem is 24 kilometers from the Dead Sea and 56 kilometers from the Mediterranean. After relocating hundreds of thousands of people, the local water shortage problem has been resolved.
With massive financial investments, the results have been remarkable. If there were an environmental ambassador award in this era, Franz and Pope Leo XIII would be the top candidates.
As the discussion drifted further off-topic, Gladstone interrupted, “Alright, gentlemen. Whether the Austrians have achieved results is irrelevant. Turning the desert into an oasis is beyond human capability at this time.
The immediate priority is figuring out how to limit Austria’s growing strength or disrupt any potential Russo-Austrian deal.
After annexing the Ottoman Empire, the only thing separating Austria from Austrian Africa is Egypt.
The French only appear strong on the surface, but they have yet to fully recover from their internal turmoil. In future geopolitical competition, they are likely to fall behind.
As time passes, the power gap between France and Austria will continue to widen. Sooner or later, France may choose to compromise.
That is a terrifying scenario! I can hardly bear to imagine it.”
In every era, there are always loud voices pushing grand ideas. The concept of turning deserts into oases has been proposed before.
However, such discussions remain on the fringes and have not gained mainstream recognition or influence.
Even the Austrian government’s desert greening initiative is only fully developed in Jerusalem. In other areas, the plan amounts to nothing more than a Land Fallowing Act, leaving nature to recover on its own.
By comparison, the consequences of a Franco-Austrian compromise would be far more serious.
Right now, France and Austria still maintain the facade of an alliance. As long as the power gap between them continues to widen, the weaker side will eventually see compromise as the only logical course.
Foreign Secretary George remarked, “The best way to prevent this from happening is to drag Austria into war and deplete its strength.
Politics and diplomacy have always been the Habsburgs’ strengths. Their only weakness lies in the military.
Of course, that weakness is only relative. Globally, only France and Russia are capable of challenging them.”
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https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)