The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1583 Declaration of War on Imerina
"Tell me. How many people did we lose?"

Franz sighed. Archbishop Rauscher's personal visit to him was certainly not to plead for Bismarck; the Church had most likely suffered heavy losses this time.

"Your Majesty, the Brotherhood of Combat has lost six hundred men. Including non-combat personnel, our total losses are approximately one thousand."

The Prussian losses were approximately 350 men.

In addition, there are 450 mercenaries, as well as locals working alongside us.”

The loss of nearly 1800 men is still unknown. It would take at least 30 days for news to travel from Madagascar to Vienna, and at least 70 days for troops from the Austrian Empire to travel to Madagascar.

The round trip will take more than three months, which is enough time for a lot to happen.

The greatest loss the Austrian Empire had previously suffered in its colonies was the Ivory Coast attack, in which more than 550 people were killed.

Franz never imagined that he would one day have his stats rubled off by the natives, but he could only blame these charlatans for their overconfidence after winning so many easy battles.

"Don't drag the locals into this. Don't you know who's been outsmarting you?"

Archbishop Rauscher blushed at Franz's words.

"We also want to expand the empire's territory while spreading the gospel of God."

Franz disliked this weak explanation, but since the church had indeed played a leading role in many situations, he tacitly accepted it.

"Your Majesty, the current situation is a direct result of Lord Edward Taffy, the Governor-General of Tanzania, refusing to offer us assistance."

Franz could not ignore Archbishop Rauscher's attempt to shift blame.

"Do you expect him to launch a transoceanic expedition without any preparation? Do you know how many troops Taffy has at his disposal? The entire East Africa depends on these people!"
If Tafi really leaves Bagamoyo with the main force, will it attract the covetous eyes of other forces? Will it trigger other, even more terrible chain reactions?

Who will be responsible for the 300,000 imperial citizens of the Tanzania Viceroyalty (East Africa) then?

Archbishop Rauscher immediately changed his tune.

"Your Majesty, I was careless and misunderstood Governor Tafi. Please, I beg you, save those lost sheep."

Franz nodded; in any case, the outcome was sealed the moment the Kingdom of Imreina attacked the Austrian Empire's forces.

Although Lanavarona I was tyrannical, she actually succeeded in resisting the invasion of the great powers and defending the country. For this reason alone, Franz had some respect for her, but only if she did not pose a threat to the Austrian Empire.

However, what nations value is interest and power, not morality.

Even from a moral standpoint, during the reign of Lanavarona I, she would execute tens of thousands of people every year for various reasons for her amusement.

Queen Lanavarona I was particularly fond of using animal punishments; she enjoyed watching people being torn apart, trampled, and devoured by wild beasts.

Queen Lanavarona I even dug a river and filled it with crocodiles. She would tell the condemned prisoners that they could be pardoned if they could swim across the river, but a new game would begin behind the high walls on the other side.

Franz's reason for sending troops to attack the Kingdom of Immelina was to overthrow tyranny and save Christians, not to decide to silence them out of anger and resentment at losing influence after being attacked by the natives.

It just so happens that Queen Lanavarona I had just executed 20,000 Christians, and the human skulls and crosses scattered along the coastline are the best proof of this.

As a major power, Austria needed a legitimate reason to act. Furthermore, Franz's biggest concern wasn't the indigenous population, but rather interference from Britain and France. Previous Anglo-French defeats stemmed from unequal distribution of spoils, leading to mutual sabotage and ultimately, a series of losses.

Franz, naturally, would not repeat such a mistake, nor would he allow Britain and France to gain too much advantage. Therefore, Franz decided to send a note to all the monarchies of Europe, jointly declaring war on the Kingdom of Imreina.

The Austrian Empire will deploy two brigades totaling 6,000 soldiers, along with ten battleships and thirty auxiliary vessels.

Theoretically, such a force could sweep across all African countries except Egypt and Ethiopia.

With the added symbolic assistance from other countries, Franz felt his chances of winning were at least 99%.

However, just in case, Franz wrote a letter to King Said of Oman offering to lease the northern ports of Madagascar in exchange for Oman's assistance.

The letter was mainly intended to reassure Said, as he did not want anyone to take advantage of the situation.

On the other hand, it was through binding interests that they were completely tied to the war machine of the Austrian Empire.

Of course, according to Franz's estimation, Said would most likely hesitate and wait until the situation became clearer before making a decision.

However, once the situation becomes clear, Franz will no longer need his help.

At this time, Archduke Friedrich served as the overall commander of the war, and General Gablenz was in charge of the landing operation.

Franz would also inform Edward Taffy in advance that he could act expediently or even abandon some land if the situation became critical.

In addition, Franz also offered some words of reassurance, after all, the kidnapped archbishop was Alfred Taffy, Edward Taffy's younger brother.

Edward Taffy was fulfilling his duty, and so Franz would also fulfill his duty to save his people (or avenge them).

Franz's biggest concern was actually the post-war period, since nominally all European countries were jointly fighting against the enemy. While this prevented Britain and France from secretly sabotaging them, it would make dividing the spoils among too many countries complicated.

However, it was Prince Schwarzenberg and Foreign Minister Lord Habescu who were in charge of these matters. What Franz wanted was the central highlands and the port of Mahazanga, which is located at the mouth of the Betsibka River.

Compared to other parts of Madagascar, the central region's resources are unremarkable. Only farmland can be considered a resource, but it is not rare. Expecting to get rich from this food is wishful thinking, since the colony has no shortage of food.

Mahzanjah Port is not a particularly important port; its only advantage is that it provides direct access to the central highlands.

Although the central region is the capital of the Kingdom of Imerina, the Kingdom of Imerina is not a very wealthy country, and there are very few resources to plunder.

Relatively speaking, it was the toughest nut to crack on the entire island, and if the Austrian Empire wanted it, there was little chance of anyone else competing for it. After all, according to the reports of British and French explorers at the time, and from a macro-strategic perspective, the most important parts of Madagascar were the east and north, followed by the pastoral areas in the west.

But that's exactly what Franz wanted. The central highlands did have little in the way of resources and goods, but they had a topographical advantage, overlooking the entire coastal region.

This is why the Kingdom of Imerina chose to locate its capital in the central region, allowing it to suppress other areas at any time while also providing a defensive position from the high ground.

With its vast farmland, the Austrian Empire did not need many troops to defend the region.

As for the other regions, let other countries fight over them and worry about them. But Franz had his own principles: the eastern region, which controlled the shipping lanes, would never be given to the British.

Of course, the British will absolutely not give up easily, and the final outcome will most likely be international co-management, a result that everyone can accept.