Holy Roman Empire

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Once Pandora's box was opened, it could never be closed again. The dispute at the French Command in Aswan was just a minor episode; similar events continued to unfold in the Egypt Area.

How to surrender in a dignified manner became the focus of everyone's debate. It wasn't that the French generals were cowardly, nor that they lacked patriotism.

The senior officers knew the significance of the Egypt Area, but that didn't mean the rank-and-file could understand its importance to France. To most soldiers, the Egypt Area was just another colony, and losing it was no big deal.

If it was destined to be indefensible, then it would be better to give it up. After all, France had lost colonies before, some richer than Egypt, and life had gone on as usual.

With no military morale and a shortage of strategic resources, such a fight was surely unwinnable.

Under these circumstances, the astute senior officers naturally considered their retreat, striving for as honorable an outcome as possible.

Since June, the Austrian army had slowed its offensive, switching to a long-term siege, and the situation in the Egypt Area gradually relaxed.

The struggle, which was originally military, also gradually shifted to the political realm. At the negotiation table, the representatives engaged in fierce debates, no less intense than those on the battlefield.

The political offensive was personally instructed by Franz. As an emperor who loved peace, he naturally wanted to minimize casualties.

The war had cost the Austrian army tens of thousands of lives, and that number would only increase by the end of the conflict.

The French Army in the Egypt Area was already a turtle in a jar. Time was on the side of the Austrian army. With an insufficient supply of food and a destroyed water source, the besieged French Army could not hold out.

Rather than forcing the French to fight desperately like cornered beasts, it would be better to employ political means to make them surrender and reduce their own losses.

As for depleting the French's living strength, the same could be done in prisoner-of-war camps, even more easily than on the battlefield.

The effect of the political offensive was naturally remarkable. As time passed, realizing that struggle was futile, more and more French troops laid down their weapons and entered the prisoner-of-war camps.

The fate of the Egypt Area was about to be settled, and the European Continent was also developing in a positive direction. The French expulsion operations certainly increased Austria's burden, but it also united the people of the Germany Region against a common enemy.

Stimulated by the power of hatred, the Prussia and Germany military, originally only second-rate in combat, underwent an astonishing transformation. If the combat effectiveness was lacking, morale made up for it, showing glimpses of an elite force.

This change was directly reflected on the Central European Battlefield. The Anti-French Alliance, originally at a disadvantage due to uncooperative allies, was now gradually turning the tide.

It is worth noting that Austria's hidden armored troops had not yet been deployed, and the total force engaged in the Central European Battlefield was just over a million men, hardly a full effort.

The gains on the battlefield were one thing, but what truly delighted Franz was the political gain.

As a result of this war, the concept of Greater Germany became deeply ingrained in people's hearts. Even in Hanover and Prussia, it became mainstream in society.

Under the threat of the French, interest groups originally opposing Austria now changed their stance, one after another, sending representatives to contact the Vienna Government.

If he did not have to consider the difference in their positions, Franz truly wanted to award Napoleon IV with a Teutonic Unification Medal to commend his contribution to the unification of the Germany Region.

The Habsburg dynasty had strived for hundreds of years to accomplish the unification that had not been completed but, with the "selfless help" of the French government, the dawn was finally visible.

Up to now, the Vienna Government had signed secret treaties with twenty-three sub-states, reaching a consensus on the issue of reconstructing the Holy Roman Empire.

Yes, reconstructing the Holy Roman Empire, the "new" before it is to be removed, to demonstrate the full legal succession from Shinra.

As for the current North Germany, it would simply become history and disappear from the world once the war ended.

...

Just when everything was developing in a favorable direction, Franz received news that was unbelievable.

"Are you sure you are not mistaken, that the Japanese want to invade Southeast Asia?"

Franz wasn't prone to overreaction, but this news was too out of the ordinary. Had the Japanese allied with the French to invade the Austrian Nanyang before news of the fall of French Egypt spread, he could have understood it.

But now it was different. Ever since the Vienna Government circulated rumors of complete occupation of Egypt, the American countries originally incited by England and France had all pulled back.

Even Colombia, which had numerous conflicts with Austria, had stopped all anti-Austrian propaganda and said nothing about seeking revenge.

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Everyone is shrewd. Since the outbreak of the European war, the French seem to be advancing triumphantly, but in reality, they have only achieved a series of tactical victories and are a complete disaster strategically.

In the Central European battlefield, they are unable to break through the Rhine defense line; in the Southern European battlefield, they are being pressured by Austria; in the African battlefield, they are losing miserably. Now, with the crucial loss of Egypt, it all gives the impression of a setting sun.

At this point, not to mention the British secretly supporting, even if they were to personally enter the fray, it's not certain they could turn the tide.
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In such a context, who would dare to be so obstinate as to jump into this vast pitfall with France?

The Japanese aren't foolish either. No matter how many benefits the French promise, there's no reason for them to join and seek out suffering.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg, "Yesterday morning, the Japanese Government, citing constant disputes in the Southeast Asian region damaging its own interests, announced it would deploy troops to Southeast Asia.

Following that, both England and France issued announcements, inviting the Japanese Navy into Southeast Asia to assist in restoring order locally.

The current chaos in Southeast Asia is just a minor interlude in the Anti-French war. After the war broke out, we and the French have torn our facades in the Southeast Asian region.

As a result, the social order of the region has been disrupted. Piracy is rampant, and the once bustling Strait of Malacca now sees trade nearly severed."

Without a doubt, the chaos in Southeast Asia must have something to do with Austria. The rampant piracy is also closely related to Austria.

Because of the war, the shipping routes from Austria's mainland to Austrian Nanyang were essentially cut off, and even when possible, they had to take a huge detour.

With the African Continent present and with ample preparation, Austria's demand for resources in the Southeast Asian region is minimal, so their need for this shipping route is negligible.

Based on the principle of "if I can't use it, neither can my enemy," it would be natural to sabotage. At first, they simply joined the Germans, who were occupying the Malay Peninsula, in blockading the Strait of Malacca, prohibiting French merchant ships from passing through.

Later, when they realized the effect was unsatisfactory since people could simply change their flags, in those days, without precise satellite positioning, it was impossible to identify the ownership of the ships and their destination.

The best method, naturally, was to ban the transportation of all strategic materials. Unfortunately, this involved too many countries and was very prone to offending others; the British, for one, would never agree.

To minimize the impact, Austria also had to resort to underhanded tactics. For a time, the Southeast Asian region became a den of thieves who specifically targeted ships carrying strategic materials.

Since the outbreak of the war in Europe, the number of ships that met accidents in the Southeast Asian region has exceeded one hundred, and the total tonnage surpassed two hundred thousand tons.

Austria was causing trouble, and the French were not idle either. Directly engaging in robbery was too disgraceful, so both sides supported a group of proxies to engage in pirate tactics.

Interestingly, neither France nor Austria suffered the largest losses; instead, it was the British who topped the list of sunken ships.

Of course, this is only based on the flags they flew, and the true nationalities of the ships were unknown to anyone, nor did anyone wish to know.

The fact that the British did not come forward proves that not many of the ships raided by pirates actually belonged to Britannia.

Now, by allowing the Japanese Navy into Southeast Asia, the pretense is to suppress piracy, but the true aim is to help the French restore their shipping routes and to hit Austria, perhaps even to directly invade Austrian Nanyang.

Despite the universal low regard for Japan's strength, in the Southeast Asia region, with Japan's assets, they equally have the capability to influence the outcome of the conflict between France and Austria.

Prime Minister Carl, "The situation in Southeast Asia is extremely complicated, and our naval forces in the area are limited, making it very difficult to defeat the Franco-Japanese allied forces.

Should the enemy launch a full-scale attack, we can only choose to temporarily avoid their sharp edge. To reverse this situation, we would need to bring in new allies, such as Spain, Portugal, or even the Dutch.

This is nearly impossible. The Foreign Ministry has already tried many times, and no matter how high we bid, they do not have the courage to participate."

Setting aside the dormant Far Eastern Empire, the nations with influence over the Southeast Asian region are just these few. Since the British cannot be persuaded, the Vienna Government can only choose a general from among the short-statured. Regrettably, these short-statured nations also refuse to participate.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg, "Perhaps the situation is not as bad as we imagine. For the Japanese to enter Southeast Asia, they first have to get past the Philippines, and it would be best to take down the Ryukyu as well.

On the premise that the Anti-French Alliance is in a superior position, the Japanese Government, as long as it isn't foolish, will not choose to tie itself to France at this time.

Compared to being our enemy, those two declining old empires are obviously easier to bully. As long as we show some goodwill, the Japanese should make the right choice."

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