Chapter 1171: The Storm in the Americas
"The Wind Rifle?" Lord Hawkesbury turned toward the military advisor standing by the door, his expression one of confusion.
The advisor hurried to his side and whispered, "It appears to be a rapid-fire weapon developed by the Austrians, Your Lordship. It uses high-pressure air canisters to drive the projectiles, capable of firing twenty rounds in just half a minute."
"However," the advisor continued, "it suffers from severe air leakage. It requires a complete overhaul after every three uses. It is still far from a finished product."
Lord Hawkesbury shook his head immediately. "The battlefield is a place only for proven, mature weaponry. I believe we should focus on equipping our forces with percussion cap muskets."
Count Bellegarde spoke up quickly, "Please, believe me, this is an epoch-making weapon! We have already equipped an entire legion with them. The production volume is only low because the manufacturing process is so complex."
"And what is your point, Count?" Hawkesbury asked.
"We hope your country will participate in the research and development of the Wind Rifle. Ideally, we would like an investment of five hundred thousand florins to expand the factories producing them."
Five hundred thousand florins was equivalent to fifty thousand pounds sterling.
Lord Hawkesbury refused flatly. "I am sorry, but I have not been granted the authority to invest in experimental weaponry."
Saxony was a powerful force among the German states.
Lord Hawkesbury had clearly come prepared. He smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten the German Common Defense System? If they refuse, you, as the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, have every right to penalize them."
The Austrian ministers present couldn't help but marvel silently at the sheer deviousness of the British.
The so-called "German Common Defense" referred to clauses within the Imperial War Law passed by the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire back in the 15th century. As one of the Prince-Electors of the Empire, Saxony was obligated to send military reinforcements whenever a German state came under attack.
While such archaic regulations had long fallen out of practice, they had never been officially abolished.
Now, Austria could use this to hold Saxony hostage. Especially with Prussia's cooperation, Saxony would have no way to refuse—its territory was squeezed right between Prussia and Austria.
As Lord Hawkesbury gloated while detailing his strategy, he failed to notice the dissatisfied glint in Count Bellegarde's eyes.
The Englishman was completely dismissive of the Military Committee's primary project. Bellegarde huffed inwardly. The French were willing to trade significant political interests just to get their hands on the technology for the Wind Rifle; it was an advanced weapon that deserved respect!
***
In the United States, at the Presidential Mansion on Sixth Street in Philadelphia.
Washington stared at the documents on his desk, his gaze fixed as he spoke to Jefferson, who sat across from him.
"This means we will be going to war with the French."
"Mr. President, we must secure the entire Mississippi River and, most importantly, New Orleans. That is the federal government's living space," Jefferson declared loudly. "Fewer than fifteen thousand Frenchmen occupy land enough to support millions of Americans. Right now may be our only chance to take it."
Washington picked up his quill, his hands appearing somewhat tense. "I hope this does not turn into another American Revolutionary War."
Jefferson, however, was brimming with confidence.
"We defeated the British last time; we can defeat the French this time as well."
"The European continent will soon be engulfed in a massive war. When that happens, the French will have no time to worry about their North American colonies. Furthermore, the British have assured us they will deploy their fleet to blockade the Gulf of Mexico."
"The Governor of Saint-Louisiane has fewer than two thousand soldiers at his disposal. If all goes well, we could occupy the entire Mississippi basin in less than three months."
Jefferson had habitually ignored the presence of the Native Americans. Even though over one hundred and twenty thousand Native Americans had settled in Saint-Louisiane, in his eyes, they were merely unrefined savages who posed no threat to the United States military.
Washington took a deep breath and finally signed his name at the bottom of the document.
It was a secret Anglo-American agreement. The terms included the United States renouncing its alliance with France while granting Britain Most Favored Nation status. In exchange, Britain recognized American sovereignty over Florida and Saint-Louisiane, provided a low-interest loan of two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, and supplied a vast quantity of weapons and equipment.
Additionally, Britain promised that once the war against France concluded, the United States would no longer be required to repay the loans it owed to France from the Revolutionary War.
Washington handed the document to Jefferson and added a firm instruction.
"Have the state legislatures in Tennessee and Kentucky recruit troops as quickly as possible. Tell them that until the fighting in Europe officially begins, any attacks on the west bank of the Mississippi River are strictly internal state decisions. They have nothing to do with the federal government."
"Understood, Mr. President."
***
In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
A crowd of six or seven hundred people had gathered in front of a brand-new three-story building. Most were Caboclos, though there were nearly a hundred white citizens as well, all craning their necks to look at the wooden stage in front of the structure.
This was Rio de Janeiro's first library, built for the Brazilian people by Crown Prince João. The Prince was scheduled to deliver a speech at the opening ceremony.
The scheduled time for the speech had already passed, yet the Crown Prince had not appeared.
At that moment, João was in a carriage roughly four hundred meters away from the library. He was frowning as he listened to the Duke of Arcos, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom of Portugal and Brazil, report on his meeting with the British special envoy the previous day.
"That is the gist of it, Your Highness." The Duke of Arcos closed his notebook. "Sir Sean said the weapons and the loan will arrive next week. He wishes to meet with you personally."
João's brow furrowed deeper as he looked out the carriage window at the passing cornfields.
"Good God, what I need to do right now is build factories, banks, and ports."
"It is true that we have three million people here, but at least five hundred thousand of them spend every waking moment plotting an insurrection!"
"If I order the Royal Guard to attack New Granada now, those Caboclos will declare independence tomorrow."
The Duke of Arcos replied with a deadpan expression, "Your Highness, we are in no position to refuse the British government's demands."
The Portuguese royal family was currently entirely dependent on Britain to maintain its rule. If nothing else, if Britain were to slightly increase the tariffs on goods coming from Brazil, the newly formed United Kingdom of Portugal and Brazil would face immediate financial collapse.
An attendant approached the carriage and whispered, "Your Highness, the people are waiting for your speech."
"Cancel the speech. Return to the palace."
As the carriage began to move, João lowered his head in a long silence. Finally, he turned to the Duke of Arcos. "Recruit five thousand soldiers. And remember—no Caboclos."
"Yes, Your Highness."
***
In Azerbaijan, northwest of Persia.
A massive Persian army of nearly thirty thousand troops marched grandly past the outskirts of the city of Tabriz. A single unit of fewer than two hundred cavalrymen split off from the main force, heading straight for the city's southern gate.
No one blocked their path. The cavalry rode all the way to the Governor's mansion before finally coming to a halt.
The Russians had departed more than six months ago, and the local Azerbaijani officials they had left behind had vanished without a trace.
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