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

Chapter 1856 Is it for sale in South Africa?

Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna.

Franz looked at the latest battle report from North America with some boredom. To be honest, he hadn't expected the British to fight like this in North America.

A major victory at Pittsburgh wiped out nearly 100,000 American troops, the surprise attack on Washington failed, William Rhoden committed suicide, and the U.S. military successfully recaptured Trenton.

If this fighting continues, Britain is truly doomed.

Regardless, since Britain is now clearly in decline, Franz should give it a good kick.

Franz walked up to the map and began to examine it. In fact, the Austrian Empire was under construction at the time, and its national strength was basically at its saturation point.

At this time, the Austrian Empire was already overwhelmed with the development of its own colonies, and it would be a complete loss to seize those undeveloped colonies.

After all, this is not the 15th century. If it were the beginning of the Age of Exploration, the Austrian Empire could have recouped its losses through direct plunder.

But now, in the nineteenth century, those black tribes, and even those primitive black kingdoms, could hardly provide spoils that would satisfy Franz.

Seizing territory not only yields no benefits, but also requires stationing troops there, which is simply asking for trouble.

As for the theory of the omnipotence of capital, Franz simply did not believe it. The East India Company was on the verge of collapse in the 19th century, let alone smaller, independent organizations.

The inefficiency and rampant corruption of colonial companies, along with their excessive pursuit of profit and power, had far more negative effects on the country than positive ones.

On the one hand, they use state power to monopolize things, and on the other hand, they refuse government intervention, use public power for private gain, and try to shift the blame to the imperial government.

If this system is so good, how could the British possibly give it up?
Franz hoped that European countries would go to sea and compete with Britain for colonies, but the Austrian Empire had no obligation to provide comprehensive services to other countries. Suppressing Britain, the maritime hegemon, was already more than enough.

Furthermore, due to the Austrian Empire's monopoly on quinine, other countries lacked the incentive to go to sea.

At this time, the same few established countries were still participating in the colonial competition, and their strategy remained focused on occupying trading posts and ports.

In reality, the truly valuable colonies were all in the East, and Franz thought India was a good example. Unfortunately, given the Austrian Empire's strength at the time, maintaining a large colony in India was simply unrealistic.

At best, they could only support proxies like Britain did, but for the Austrian Empire at that time, doing so would be a risky and low-return chore.

Austria's model differs from that of the UK, and the same approach may not necessarily yield the same results.

In fact, Franz had thought that the Indian Revolt could succeed by taking advantage of the Near East War, but the Indian princes were not trustworthy in terms of their abilities and character.

These people were so bad that Franz would be lucky if they didn't fall apart, let alone drive out the British.

Franz looked at the map and it seemed there was only one place left, a land with immense potential, a large German population, and a crucial strategic point—South Africa.

At this time, South Africa's economy mainly relied on wool and agriculture, as well as port trade at the Cape of Good Hope. The population was less than 300,000, a considerable portion of whom were British soldiers who had retired after the end of the anti-French war.

Gold and diamonds have not yet been discovered, but the problem is that the Cape of Good Hope itself is a shipping hub.

In the eyes of the British, the Cape Colony was the key to India, and it would directly affect British maritime hegemony and the face of the British Empire.

However, after thinking it over, Franz realized that this was the most reasonable option, so he decided to give it a try.

"Your Majesty, your plan is too crazy! The British will absolutely not accept our deal this time! They just sold the West Indies, how could they possibly give up the Cape Colony again!"
You'd be better off sending troops directly; the British and Americans are already locked in a fierce battle anyway.”

Prince Schwarzenberg clearly couldn't accept Franz's idea; at least in his mind, this behavior was more like a provocation than a transaction.

Moreover, it would be more prudent to launch a direct attack on the South African colonies than to hope that the British would accept the deal.

In fact, at that time, Europeans considered it a very shameful thing to be fighting the Americans.

Now is the perfect time for the Austrian Empire, as a challenger, to take advantage of Britain's weakness and cripple it.

Prince Schwarzenberg believed that this would not only bring him land and people, but also honor and prestige.

The first two are important to a nation, and the latter two are also important to an empire.

Honor and prestige are especially important for a country like Austria, because modern political means are unlikely to strengthen its ruling base.

On the contrary, military or diplomatic victories can effectively enhance the legitimacy of a ruler's rule. Franz himself had maximum legitimacy, so he didn't care.

But the nobles and soldiers of the Austrian Empire cared a lot, because war meant an opportunity to change their fate.

These people start from a high point, so it's difficult for them to get promoted, and there are only so many high-level positions available.

Unless war breaks out, they might not have a chance to climb the ranks; otherwise, it's all down to luck. They might work their whole lives and only get a consolation prize.

Although Franz had already made reforms, the ingrained thinking that had been in place for thousands of years made it difficult for them to stop.

Furthermore, the upward mobility promised by Franz remains uncertain for many, but his military achievements and battle records are undeniable.

At the same time, Franz's reforms also touched upon the core interests of the entire aristocratic class, even though they themselves had the advantage in the competition.

However, the introduction of the competition mechanism also made them feel an unprecedented sense of urgency, since in the past, upward mobility channels were semi-closed for ordinary people.

Furthermore, victory can easily make people addicted to war, especially since the Austrian Empire has not yet suffered a sufficiently devastating defeat.

If Franz hadn't suppressed public opinion, Austrian primary school textbooks might now be filled with militaristic propaganda.

The Austrian Empire's historical preference for peace was largely due to its inability to win wars.

"War is not the best option for us, and we have absolutely no need to start a war for South African land."

This is far too much of a loss.

As the Chancellor of the Austrian Empire, you shouldn't be talking about war all the time; it makes us seem barbaric.

Don't the British like free trade? We happen to have a business deal to discuss with them right now.

This would not only solve their urgent debt problem, but also provide them with weapons and supplies.

Schwarzenberg had heard Franz's arguments like this many times, especially regarding arms, but this time was a little different.

"Your Majesty, we have no secondhand goods."

Franz was also a little embarrassed. To be honest, the Austrian Empire replaced its military equipment very frequently, and he had once been troubled by the mountain of old equipment.

The Austrian Empire frequently replaced its military equipment, partly due to the rapid pace of military technological development.

On the other hand, there was also the personal reason of Count Latour, the Minister of War. After all, he hadn't been able to replace his equipment for decades due to poverty, so he naturally wanted to indulge himself now that the budget was being relaxed.

In fact, purely from a personal moral standpoint, Count Latour was a competent war minister, known for his loyalty, integrity, and sense of responsibility (historically, he allowed his subordinates to hide in a room while he faced the rebellious populace alone). He also rarely interfered in matters he did not understand.

However, his laissez-faire attitude meant that his subordinates also had little concept of money. Their basic principle was to spend as much as they had, and ask for more when they ran out.

Even when Franz hired someone to cut costs and commercialize the product, it couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of these guys.

The once-mountainous arsenal was the best proof of their wastefulness, but due to the world's turmoil, Franz's inventory was wiped out.

"Then we won't sell weapons. The British are short of everything anyway."

Franz's statement is both right and wrong.

Why is that wrong? Because as the world's factory and the country with the highest volume of trade, Britain naturally has nothing to lack.

However, it was also true that the British army was short of supplies on the front lines, lacking clothing and medicine, and even food had to be requisitioned from occupied areas.

Don't find it too bizarre; the fact that warehouses were piled high with goods and supplies were scarce at the front lines was not contradictory, because the British government didn't have the money.

British capitalists weren't philanthropists; naturally, they demanded payment upon delivery. If they lacked funds, they resorted to debt and power as collateral.
“Very well, Your Majesty. But I’m not sure if the British will see this as a deal or a provocation.”

And wouldn't revealing our intentions too early alert the enemy?

Franz didn't seem to care much about Prince Schwarzenberg's concerns.

"No matter what we do, it will not change the value of the Cape Colony in the eyes of the British. Whether we show any interest or not, the British will guard it closely."

They viewed the Cape colony as the sea gateway to India, just as they viewed Afghanistan as the land gateway to India.

Franz's words only confused Prince Schwarzenberg more. If the Cape colony was so important to Britain, there was even less reason to sell it to the Austrian Empire.

Isn't this just asking for trouble?

"Your Majesty, wouldn't it be better if we waited until the Suez Canal opened before discussing this deal with the British?"

Prince Wassenberg personally admired Franz's talent and ambition. At the time, many people thought that the Suez Canal project was too large and that it was the emperor's own ambition and love of grandiose projects.

However, as the Suez Canal project progresses, the evaluation of the entire project is also rising rapidly.

Especially after the merchants in Venice created hype, economists from many European countries believed that the opening of the Suez Canal would take away 80% or even 90% of the shipping traffic on the Cape of Good Hope route in Africa.

“Once the Suez Canal opens, the British Cape Colony’s status will inevitably decline sharply. At that time, we can acquire it at a low price and achieve twice the result with half the effort.”

Schwarzenberg said with great certainty, but Franz shook his head.

“You’re absolutely right. The status of the Cape Colony will inevitably decline after the Suez Canal opens.”

But with the Suez Canal in our hands, the Cape Colony's status within the British colonial system will only continue to rise, perhaps even to the point of being non-saleable.

Prince Schwarzenberg understood immediately, but he had one more thing to say.

“Your Majesty, even if we wage war, we will have a legitimate cause. The people of New Germany (Orange and Transvaal) frequently clash with the British and Zulus.”

The British often imposed heavy taxes on goods from the people of New Germany, frequently closed their borders to prevent them from entering the Cape Colony, and even from trading with the Cape Colony.

There are also rumors that the Zulu attacks on the people of New Germany were secretly orchestrated by the British.

Franz had also heard about what Prince Schwarzenberg had said, and the conflict between the three parties, or rather the four parties, was quite complex.

It's true that the British were suppressing the new German colonies, but the Boers and later German immigrants weren't idle either.

As for the claim that the British and Zulus had a conspiracy, that's giving the Zulu Kingdom a bit too much credit.

At this point, the Zulus were seen as easy prey by both sides, and could be described as anyone who could be attacked.

"An expedition is not an easy task, and it would be unwise to fight the British now, especially since part of our navy has already been sent to attack Muscat."

Prince Schwarzenberg wanted to say something more, but Franz waved his hand.

"The new German colonies have a total population of less than 100,000, the vast majority of whom are civilians. It's better to hope that the British will accept the deal than to rely on them."

Prince Schwarzenberg was rendered speechless by Franz's words and could only go to the Foreign Minister, Lord Haberscu.

To be honest, Lord Haberscu was also taken aback. After all, the British had never sold land before in the West Indies, let alone the important Cape Colony that Franz wanted to buy.

"I don't think the British would accept this at all. Let's not make things difficult for ourselves."

Lord Haberscu's words were exactly what Prince Schwarzenberg had expected.

"I've already said that. But His Majesty means for you to give it a try."

"How to try?"

"That's your problem. His Majesty can't do everything himself; you all need to do your own jobs well!"

Lord Haberscu was speechless at what Prince Schwarzenberg said, because what he said was absolutely correct.

However, the current problem is indeed beyond his capabilities, and moreover, based on his experience, the final decision on diplomatic issues must always be in Franz's hands.

Therefore, Lord Habescu decided to bypass the Prime Minister and meet directly with Franz.

Franz, however, had known all along that the Foreign Minister would come, so he had a whole set of principles prepared in advance.

Franz handed the document directly to Lord Habescu and said.

"Take a look first, and come back to me if you don't understand."

Lord Haberscu was already used to this, and Franz had already given the basic principles and bottom line.

However, if a major problem were to arise, it would still be necessary to report to Vienna, since the Austrian Empire had ample time.

The chaotic fighting in North America is unlikely to end anytime soon. The British annihilated most of the American troops attacking Pittsburgh, but the Americans also achieved victories in the Trenton direction and even recaptured a considerable amount of territory.

At the same time, nearly 40,000 British troops were annihilated. Proportionally speaking, the British should have suffered a greater loss.

London, England.

"Lord Habescu, what brings you here?"

"Friend, do you sell them in South Africa?"

(End of this chapter)