Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 228: British-Austrian Alliance
The famous 10 Downing Street in the British Empire.

This was originally the residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the British Cabinet Government, but after the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer was tacitly assumed by the Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street became the recognized residence of the British Prime Minister.

The current British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli lives in 10 Downing Street, and the surrounding houses are also home to senior officials of the British Cabinet.

In the meeting room of the mansion, the British cabinet ministers had gathered. Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli looked around with a gloomy face, and then said: "Everyone, tell me, how should we deal with the war in the Balkans?"

During the three years that Benjamin Disraeli had been prime minister, he had vigorously pursued a policy of foreign aggression and colonial expansion, making the British colonial empire more prosperous and powerful.

It is precisely because of his colonial expansion strategy that the British have been paying close attention to the situation in the Balkans, which is also an important reason why Britain pays attention to the situation in the Balkans.

The Ottoman Empire is now on the verge of collapse. If Britain does not send troops to support it, the war will probably end within a few months.

This was unacceptable to the British Empire. If Russia was allowed to control Constantinople and the Sea of ​​Marmara, Russia's Black Sea Fleet would be able to easily reach the Mediterranean.

This would make Russia's influence in Central Asia even stronger, which the British absolutely could not accept.

The Earl of Derby, then Foreign Secretary, stood up first, looked at Benjamin Disraeli, and said: "The Ottoman Empire has informed us that if we cannot send troops to support them within a month, they will start negotiations with Russia."

Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli nodded without changing his expression. The current situation in the Balkans is very clear. If the British do not firmly support the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Empire will indeed have only one outcome: defeat.

Surrendering and entering into negotiations earlier could preserve more land. If the situation was delayed until the Ottoman army was completely defeated, the Ottoman Empire would become a lamb to be slaughtered.

"What is the opinion of the War Department? If we intervene in the Balkan War, can the War Department win the encounter with Russia?" Benjamin Disraeli looked at the British Army Secretary and asked his question.

If Britain wants to stop Russia's progress, a friendly war with Russia on land is inevitable. Unless Britain can win over other countries to put pressure on Russia, Russia will not retreat to Britain alone.

"According to the information we have, Russia currently has more than 35 troops in the Balkans, and the number is still increasing.

If we want to repel the Russian attack, we need to organize at least 20 troops and get the support of the navy. "The Minister of War replied.

Although Russia's weapons and equipment were inferior, they had already gained an advantage in the war. It was difficult for Britain to stop the attack of the Russian army, not to mention fighting in a foreign country.

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I think that in order to stop the Russian attack, we must deepen our cooperation with the Austrians." Foreign Minister Earl Derby continued to stand up and said, "The Austrians have a strong army and can fight against Russia on land.

At the same time, the Austrians will be worried about Russia's expansion in the Balkans, and I believe they will be interested in our proposal.

For us, as long as we can prevent Russia from monopolizing the Balkan Peninsula and ensure the safety of Constantinople and surrounding lands, our goal will be achieved.

We can even make the Balkans more chaotic by winning over Austria-Hungary, and let the Austrians and Russians compete with each other."

Benjamin Disraeli nodded. The British government's foreign policy focuses on regional balance. Currently, the only country that can compete with Russia in the Balkans is the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Moreover, there were no overly intense conflicts between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Britain, so it was indeed a suitable target to be won over.

Moreover, the competition between Austria-Hungary and Russia in the Balkans could also break up the Triple Alliance between Germany, Russia and Austria.

The Triple Alliance posed a great threat to Britain, and the British government would be happy to see it broken up.

"Then contact the Austrians. If they also don't want to see Russia monopolize the Balkan Peninsula, we are willing to help them repel the Russian attack together." Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli said with a smile.

From then on, the Ottoman Empire and the British Empire set their sights on the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

On the other side of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Franz Joseph I was also holding an emergency meeting.

"The Russians have dispatched more than 50 troops, and the troops on the Balkan front are still increasing. At present, it seems that the Russians are determined to defeat the Ottoman Empire in this war." Franz Joseph I, Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, said calmly.

"Your Majesty, if the Russians achieve a complete victory in this war, I'm afraid they will not easily hand over Bosnia and Serbia to us." Count Gyula Andrassy, ​​the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, who was also the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and had the power of Prime Minister, stood up and said.

Since the establishment of the dual empire, the cabinet of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was somewhat special. The power of the original prime minister was completely decentralized, and the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, as the chairman of the Council of Ministers, was the theoretical prime minister of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

But as components of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria and Hungary also had their own prime ministers, and even the Austrian Imperial Government and the Hungarian Kingdom Government respectively.

This also shows the problem of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The imperial government's control over Hungary was completely insufficient.

In peacetime, this problem can be covered up. But if it comes to war or other special times, the imperial government will lack control over Hungary, which will eventually lead to the disintegration of this special dual empire.

Emperor Franz Joseph I nodded, and he also thought that the Russians would not keep their promise so easily.

Although national credibility is also very important, if it means sacrificing the two important regions of Bosnia and Serbia, I believe that any country will carefully consider the gains and losses.

The reason why Austria-Hungary agreed to remain neutral in the war was not only because Russia received support from Germany, but also because the Ottoman Empire had the help of the British.

Franz Joseph I originally thought that with the help of the British, even if the Ottoman Empire could not win the war, it could drag the Russians into the abyss of a war of attrition.

But unexpectedly, the Russians quickly returned after getting into trouble at the Pleven Fortress and drove the Ottoman army directly to the vicinity of Plovdiv.

As a result, the situation in the Balkan Peninsula will undergo tremendous changes, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which had been watching the fight from the sidelines, finally became anxious.

"What is the British government's opinion? The Ottoman Empire failed in this war, and I'm afraid the British will not remain indifferent." Franz Joseph I asked.

If possible, he did not want to face the Russians alone. Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire was also one of the five traditional powers in Europe, after failing to compete with Prussia, Austria had become the bottom of the five traditional powers.

It is possible to fight the Russians, but the losses would be enough to make Franz Joseph I think carefully.

Before the British Foreign Minister Count Gyula Andrassy could finish his words, there was a knock on the door outside the conference room.

Everyone's eyes immediately turned to the door of the conference room. After the door opened, the palace steward and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs were waiting respectfully at the door.

"What's going on?" asked Franz Joseph I.

"Your Majesty, Ministers. The British government sent a telegram not long ago, asking us if we are willing to mobilize troops to intervene in the Russian war, and expressed that they would send the navy and army to help us intervene.

As long as we are willing to send troops to interfere with the Russian attack and ensure that the Russians will not set foot in Constantinople, the British are willing to let us take over Bosnia and Herzegovina." The Deputy Foreign Minister said respectfully.

Franz Joseph I immediately stood up, his eyes full of excitement, and asked: "Do you have the original text of the telegram?"

"It has been brought, Your Majesty." The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs respectfully handed over the original text of the telegram and waited quietly for the decision of Franz Joseph I.

"Your news is very timely. It will change our diplomatic strategy." After reading the entire text of the telegram, Franz Joseph I looked at the Deputy Foreign Minister with a satisfied smile.

"Since the original telegram has been delivered, I will take my leave." The Deputy Foreign Minister was very tactful and did not stay at the meeting for long.

After the gate was closed again, the Austro-Hungarian ministerial meeting resumed. Franz Joseph I breathed a sigh of relief and ordered the guards to pass the original telegram in his hand to all cabinet ministers for viewing.

"Tell me, should we send troops to interfere with Russia's attack as requested by the British?" asked Franz Joseph I.

After reading the original text of the telegram, many cabinet ministers fell into deep thought.

Foreign Minister Count Gyula Andrassy was the first to speak out: “If the British are really willing to send out the Royal Fleet, I think this is an excellent opportunity.

The British did not want Russia to control Constantinople. For the security of Constantinople, they were certainly willing to give up Bosnia and Herzegovina as a reward.

With the help of the British, at least the Russians will not pose much of a threat to us. After we take control of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we can still infiltrate Serbia and even influence Montenegro further south.

In order to protect the security of Constantinople, the British would certainly not allow the Russians to obtain Bulgaria. In this way, we get Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Russia gets Romania, and we are still on the same starting line. "

Before other cabinet ministers could react, the current Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza Kálmán was the first to get impatient and quickly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I think we should consider this carefully.

If we offend the Russians, our border will be at great risk. The Russians can mobilize millions of troops at any time. Even if we can resist the Russian attack, it will destroy our agricultural production and economy. "

The Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia were adjacent to each other, and the adjacent areas were Galicia and Lodomeria in northern Hungary.

If a conflict broke out between Austria-Hungary and Russia, Russian troops would most likely attack Hungary from the direction of Galicia and Romania.

Austria was still further west, and the Russian army would only have a chance to attack Austrian territory if it occupied the whole of Hungary.

This was extremely disadvantageous for the Hungarians. Once a conflict broke out between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia, Hungary would become the front line.

The Hungarians are not so stupid. Although they are happy for the Empire to occupy Bosnia, they would not be happy if it put Hungary in crisis.

"Humph! Is Russia the only country that can mobilize millions of troops?" The current Austrian Prime Minister, Prince Adolf von Auersperger, snorted coldly and directly refuted the views of Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza Kalman: "

We can also mobilize millions of troops, not to mention that we have the support of the British. The British Royal Fleet can enter the Black Sea at any time and threaten Russian port cities.

If Russia does not want to repeat its defeat in the last Crimean War, they will inevitably compromise with us.

Of course, we are not afraid of a war with Russia. If we can completely defeat the Russian attack, the Balkan Peninsula will be under our control.

By then, we will not only gain Bosnia and Herzegovina, but perhaps Serbia will also be under our control.

After acquiring these lands, the strength of the empire will be greatly increased, and we will once again become a superpower that can compete with Britain, France and Germany. "

The different opinions of the Austrian and Hungarian prime ministers actually represent the current dire situation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire was composed of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, this does not mean that the governments of the two countries will reach a unified opinion.

Because of this, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was subject to many restrictions when issuing decrees. The imperial decrees could only affect Bohemia, Austria, Croatia and Dalmatia, and the Kingdom of Hungary would selectively implement them.

But the Austro-Hungarian Empire had no way to deal with this. The Kingdom of Hungary was an important grain producing area for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Hungarian peasants and nobles also had great say.

Hearing the Austrian Prime Minister Prince Adolf von Auersperg's blunt rebuttal, Hungarian Prime Minister Tisza Kalman's face turned pale and then he snorted coldly and stopped talking.

"Well, since you all have your own opinions, why don't you all vote to decide?" Franz Joseph I broke the awkward atmosphere in the meeting room and spoke out.

As the founder of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Franz Joseph I enjoyed great prestige in both Austria and Hungary.

It is no exaggeration to say that Franz Joseph I's importance to the Austro-Hungarian Empire is irreplaceable. Half of the reason why the Austro-Hungarian Empire is still closely connected is because Franz Joseph I's huge reputation is trusted.

Since Franz Joseph I had already decided that the decision should be made by a vote of all ministers, the rest of the people naturally would not raise any objections.

In the end, the majority of people agreed to interfere in the Russian attack, so the Austro-Hungarian Empire decided to interfere in the Russian attack.

But before intervening in Russia, some diplomatic preparations are necessary.

"Let's mobilize our army first." After the vote, Franz Joseph I issued his own order: "We have to contact the British again to make sure that the British will really send out the navy.

In addition, if we can force the Russians to stop the attack through diplomacy, this will certainly be a better outcome. If we can avoid war with the Russians, it will save us from suffering greater casualties. "

Franz Joseph I gave orders slowly, and the ministers in the conference room listened quietly with an extremely serious look on their faces.

"Oh, don't forget our ally Spain." Franz Joseph I seemed to remember something and said with a smile, "With the support of one more ally in diplomacy, we will have a better chance of winning.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should remember to contact Spain. If Spain can stand with us, I believe the diplomatic pressure from us and Spain, together with the British, will make the Russians take it seriously.

Even if Spain is unwilling to join the war, their diplomatic team is very important to us. In addition, Spain's military industry has developed quite well, and our military experts seem unwilling to come back.

If war does break out, Spain will probably be our main source of arms.”

Before being excluded from the German region, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had many allies, most of which were states in southern Germany.

After the establishment of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire now had only three allies: Germany, Russia and Spain of the Triple Alliance.

Needless to say, Russia was the main competitor in the Balkans and the target of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Germany remained neutral in the conflict between Russia and Austria, and was obviously unreliable in leaning towards Russia in this war.

Only Spain, the weakest country, is currently the most reliable country, although it is highly unlikely that Spain will join this war.

Upon hearing the order from Emperor Franz Joseph I, Foreign Minister Count Gyula Andrassy nodded respectfully to show that he understood.

“In addition, if the Russian offensive is truly unstoppable, then our troops will directly enter the Bosnia-Herzegovina region and occupy the entire Bosnia-Herzegovina before the Russian troops arrive.

Anyway, the Russians had promised us to occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina before, and as long as we achieve this practical fact, they have no reason to refute it.

Anyway, no matter what choice we make, we will be one of the beneficiaries of this war. Do you understand?" Franz Joseph I smiled and continued to make his own arrangements.

For the shrewd Franz Joseph I, he had actually anticipated that the Russians would go back on their word long before he reached a cooperation agreement with Russia.

But it doesn't matter, the Austro-Hungarian Empire will force the outcome agreed with Russia. Anyway, the main forces of Russia and the Ottoman Empire are currently in Bulgaria, and Russia has no time to take care of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Regardless of whether Austria-Hungary and Britain could stop Russia's attack, as long as Austria-Hungary could ultimately occupy Bosnia and Herzegovina, Franz Joseph I's goal would have been achieved.

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(End of this chapter)