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

Chapter 1618 The Second Letter
Franz always considered the telegraph line between Russia and Austria to be very important, given Russia's history of questionable actions.

Franz didn't want to get involved in some inexplicable war without realizing it, but Nicholas I had previously shown little interest in establishing telegraph lines.

First, the Russian leadership is not sensitive to technological advancements. Second, and most importantly, Russia is short of money; they spend all their money on military expenditures.

The Austrian Empire, on the other hand, had already laid railways to Lviv on the Russian-Austrian border. This time, taking advantage of the opportunity of domestic technological reforms, they sold the lines and equipment that the Austrian Empire had phased out to the Russians at a low price.

Although it uses old equipment and outdated technology, it is not a disadvantage for Russia, since it saves the effort of basic research and development and allows it to directly acquire practical technology.

Moreover, if Russia does not purchase from the Austrian Empire, Britain, France, Prussia, and the United States will not only refuse to sell advanced technology and equipment to Russia, but will also try their best to control the price.

In fact, Russians have never been very popular. Even when they are called the gendarmes of Europe, the fear they evoke outweighs their respect.

However, Franz still did not accept the Tsar's proposal, as the idea of ​​striking first was not applicable in this war.

The Holy Alliance could not blockade the Mediterranean in advance, much less take action against Britain and France. The battlefield could only be in the Near East, and launching an offensive in advance would be of little value, and might even put them at a disadvantage in terms of public opinion.

Historically, only England, France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia participated in the war, but the reality has changed. As the first major troublemaker in modern world history, Franz was unsure how much of a ripple the British Empire could actually cause.

Rather than rashly waging a war with no chance of success, it is better to first strengthen one's own national power.

Besides, the capture of Constantinople was of great significance to Russia, but worthless to the Austrian Empire, and could even be a negative gain.

The political basis of the Russo-Austrian alliance was not the imperial system itself, but the common enemy, the Ottoman Empire.

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, which country posed the greatest threat to Russia? Even the mighty Britain could only blockade its access to the sea; it posed no real threat to a land power like Russia.

The Austrian Empire was entirely different; it not only had the ability to threaten Russia on land, but also, like the British, could blockade Russia's access to the sea.

Even if Nicholas I, out of consideration for family ties, acted arbitrarily, there was no guarantee that subsequent monarchs would not covet the Austrian Empire.

At that time, West Asia, Central Asia, and the Far East were far less developed than Europe, and their populations, resources, and technologies were incomparable.

Franz had also considered having Russia break through the three Han states in Central Asia, take Afghanistan, and then move south to India. This would have created a situation of irreconcilable conflict between Britain and Russia.

However, such a layout requires a lot of time and effort. The three Khanates of Central Asia and Afghanistan are not easy to deal with, otherwise the Russians would not have hesitated for hundreds of years.

Then, after defeating the Ottoman Empire, what would the Austrian Empire gain? The Eastern Aegean Islands? Cyprus? Egypt or Jerusalem again?

Each option seemed incredibly tempting, yet each was a poison. The Eastern Aegean Islands and Cyprus had already been mentioned, while the occupation of Egypt was the idea of ​​the Austrian Empire, and the Church's natural demand was for the Holy Land of Jerusalem.

Egypt was indeed very important, especially after the opening of the Suez Canal, it could be said to be the maritime lifeline of the Austrian Empire.

But the Austrian Empire's leadership didn't think that far ahead; they simply felt that Egypt was big enough that they wouldn't suffer any losses.

Then, like all colonial powers, the Austrian Empire's leadership coveted Egypt's cotton and land, as well as the tax revenue from its millions of inhabitants. Furthermore, the opening of the Suez Canal would allow for the collection of tolls and customs duties, all of which would increase the Austrian Empire's revenue and alleviate its financial burden.

At the same time, Egypt also has millions of hectares of fertile wasteland, which can accommodate a large population, alleviating domestic land pressure on the one hand, easing ethnic tensions on the other, and cultivating pro-Austrian forces in Egypt.

It could even be merged with Tripoli to create Austrian North Africa.

However, Franz could only say that this was a pipe dream. Although Ali and his descendants ruled terribly, the spirit of the Egyptians had not been completely extinguished, as evidenced by the fact that the Egyptian government was still able to gather Egyptian laborers to build the canal.

Historically, Napoleon also attacked Egypt, and the Egyptian army was naturally unable to stop the French army at its peak, even with the advantages of terrain such as rivers and deserts.

But did the French succeed?

not at all.

They ultimately had to abandon Egypt because the losses outweighed the gains.

Egypt's territory is too large, and the cost of maintaining the occupation is too high.

Besides military costs, developing Egypt also requires money, and like other colonies, the initial investment may not be recouped for years or even decades.

Because of the existence of the Suez Canal Company, any power that wanted to occupy Egypt alone would be attacked by other countries.

This was actually a safety lock added by Franz to ensure the navigation of the Suez Canal, but it also essentially eliminated the possibility of the Austrian Empire monopolizing the Suez Canal.

Supporting Muhammad Ali's descendants as puppets would bring no real benefit, and would only require the Pasha to pay tribute to the Ottoman Empire.

Finally, there was the endless war with the British, since both the Suez Canal and Egypt itself were too important to Britain.

Let's talk about Jerusalem, which the Church has been longing for. If they could take Jerusalem, the Austrian Empire would solidify its title as the protector of Catholicism, greatly enhance its image in the eyes of Catholics, and increase its so-called imperial prestige.

Theoretically, this could also serve as a springboard to advance into the Middle East, just like the Crusades in history.

Okay, that basically covers the benefits. Now let's talk about the potential crises:
First, waging jihad would most likely engulf the vast ocean of people's war. Although the Arab world is fragmented and the Jews are a unified group, the continuous bloodshed would outweigh the gains from occupying the territory.

Secondly, this was a major diplomatic slap in the face to Britain, Russia, France, and the Ottoman Empire. The seizure of Ottoman land goes without saying, but it was also a severe blow to the British, as this was completely different from the Near East situation they desired.

This also reflects the nationalism of the French, who at the time considered themselves God's most devout citizens (filial sons), believing that only they were worthy of protecting the Holy Land.

For the Russians, this was a complete upheaval. Nicholas I was not only the Tsar but also the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church. How could the Holy Land be taken away by the Austrian Empire? Did the Russians need the Austrian Empire's approval to visit the Holy Land?

If the Tsar could still save face, he wouldn't be Nicholas I.

Finally, there's the so-called profit. Surely no one really thinks Jerusalem is a wealthy place, right? From an economic perspective, this is definitely a losing proposition.