Holy Roman Empire

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Paris, ever since the news of the Japanese Army's sneak attack on the Philippines reached him, Napoleon IV had not slept well for several days.

Regardless, the Japanese Army's move southward was at the invitation of England and France. To get the Spaniards to stand down, both the English and French governments repeatedly assured them. Now that this had happened, they naturally could not shirk their responsibility.

In this age of survival of the fittest, promises are no different from hot air. If it were normal times, Napoleon IV wouldn't mind breaking his promise to Spain, as they wouldn't be able to do much about it anyway.

But now was different. Unlike detached Britannia, France was presently mired in the quagmire of European warfare, struggling to free itself. Even the declining Spain could now pose a fatal threat to them.

How to appease the enraged Spaniards and resolve this diplomatic dispute became the most pressing issue for the French government to face.

Suppressing his discomfort, Napoleon IV asked, "Tell me, what do the Spaniards want?"

Between nations, interests are eternal. No matter what has happened in the past, as long as the interests are met, anything can be talked about.

As neighbors, the contradictions between France and Spain are naturally significant, but French strength is too overwhelming for the Spaniards to dare to confront.

The European war altered the balance of power between the two sides. The French put all their strength into the war, losing the capacity to continue suppressing Spain.

For various reasons, the Japanese Army's surprise attack on the Philippines exactly intensified the Franco-Spanish contradictions. With the Austrians fanning the flames behind the scenes, Spanish nationalists were already exploding.

Under domestic pressure, the Spanish Government not only declared war on Japan immediately but also sent a stern diplomatic note to England and France.

Foreign Minister Karl Chardlets shook his head, "I don't know. Things happened so suddenly, the Spanish government hasn't made a decision yet.

The Japanese went too far this time, stirring up the Spanish nationalists. The cries for war within the country are growing louder.

According to intelligence from our embassy in Madrid, the Austrians have already made contact with the Spanish nationalists, and public opinion is turning against us. The situation is very unfavorable for us."

Does Karl Chardlets really not know what the Spaniards want?

The answer is no!

The problem is Spain wants something that France now cannot, is unwilling to, and should not give.

Open the diplomatic note and see for yourself; the Spaniards have already set their terms. They demand that France fulfill its promise to expel the Japanese and compensate for losses, to say nothing more.

The Spanish Government also made territorial demands on France, asking not only for French Morocco but also for a new demarcation of the border between the two countries.

Such an opportunistic demand, of course, Chardlets firmly refused; there was no room for negotiation.

Aside from the first condition to expel the Japanese, which is acceptable, if the French government dares to agree to the remaining terms, revolution is bound to erupt within the country.

The only condition that could be agreed upon is ironically something that France cannot fulfill. The French Far Eastern Fleet, currently in a standoff with the Austrian Navy, is entirely incapable of expelling the Japanese.

Even diplomatic threats the French government cannot afford to use. If by any chance this were to push the Japanese into desperation, they could join forces with the Austrian Navy, and French Indochina would be doomed.

This is not a joke but a genuine possibility. If the Japanese should decide to help the Austrian Navy take down the French Far Eastern Fleet, Vienna would have no reason to refuse.

As a qualified politician, unable to do anything, Chardlets naturally played the fool.

After a long silence, Napoleon IV said weakly, "Tell the British that I agree to their terms."

For Napoleon IV, who aspired to surpass his forebears, this decision was undoubtedly a bow to reality.

But there was no choice, as the development of the European war was unexpected, and France alone could not win the war.

Without a compromise with the British, full support from the London Government cannot be obtained. Without British support, there is no hope for France to win.

And to compromise with the British meant that France would give up its dominance in Europe, and even the say in crafting the post-war international order.

Under these circumstances, even if France were to win the war, it would not achieve its initial strategic goal, rendering the war pointless.

But a pointless war is still better than a loss. Deep down, Napoleon IV had made up his mind to retire quietly to his farm once the war was over, waiting until his strength was restored before confronting...

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Downing Street, inside the government building.

The Gladstone Cabinet was gathered in full, discussing the international impact of Japan's sneak attack on the Philippine Islands and countermeasures.

Minister of the Navy Astley spoke with righteous indignation, "The Japanese have gone too far, daring to make fools of us. If we don't show them a lesson, every Tom, Dick, and Harry will think they can walk all over us."

Anger was not the issue; the welfare of the Spaniards never fell within Sir Astley's considerations. In his view, the Japanese attack on the Philippines was an opportunity for the Royal Navy to show its mettle.

In recent years, the navies of France and Austria had been catching up vigorously, posing tremendous pressure on the world's dominant Royal Navy.

A huge amount of money was poured into the bottomless pit of the navy without a real war breaking out, and many parliamentarians had objections to this.

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Rumors even circulated that the navies of England, France, and Austria were colluding with each other to create sea conflicts on purpose, just to deceive their governments into providing funding.

Breaking such skepticism was very simple: find an enemy and wage a war. Britannia ruled the waves, and its enemies had long been terrified by the mere mention of its name. The only ones who dared to confront them were France and Austria.

But of course, neither of them could be attacked. The gap in strength between them was not significant, and starting a war could easily lead to a destructive stalemate where both sides were wounded.

The Royal Navy was lucid; proving its importance was essential, but there was no need to gamble with the nation's fate.
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By comparison, the newly emerged Japanese were much easier to bully. It wasn't Astley being arrogant; the Royal Navy had such a massive establishment that just the motion of the Far Eastern Fleet alone would send the Japanese Navy scurrying back home in dismay.

Foreign Minister George cautioned, "Sir, the issue now is not simply about the Japanese. Their surprise attack on the Philippine Islands may seem like a war between the Japanese and Spanish on the surface, but it also involves the continental war in Europe.

With the European war at a deadlock, Spain's strength is sufficient to break this fragile balance. Both France and Austria are now courting them, and currently, the Austrians have made the higher bid.

It is still Franz's usual tactic, spending others' resources freely—this time, using the interests of the French as a promise.

It is said that the Austrians directly offered a map of France, suggesting that the Spaniards could choose any French territory they desired if they were willing to join the Anti-French Alliance.

From the current situation, if we do not intervene, it is very likely that Spain will join the Anti-French Alliance.

As for the Japanese, they are nothing but a nuisance. Crushing them would be easy, but it holds no real value. Their presence or absence now will not affect the Spaniards' decision.

If Spain chooses to stand with Austria, we might need this nuisance to trouble the Anti-French Alliance. Let's just keep them around for the time being."

Being magnanimous with others' resources also requires skill. Austria can do this because France and Spain share borders, and due to historical reasons, the two countries are not only at odds but also have territorial disputes.

Under such conditions, whether or not the Spanish government is tempted, the nationalists within Spain have certainly taken the bait.

The French government, for its part, could never offer such terms. Even if they imitated the approach and handed over a map of Austria, the Spaniards wouldn't be interested.

There's no other reason; it's simply a matter of power. What good is a rich benefit if it cannot be consumed? With Spain's national power, they simply do not have the capacity to manage an enclave.

Prime Minister Gladstone nodded, "The French have already capitulated, and it seems their actual situation is worse than we anticipated.

We cannot wait any longer; we must act swiftly. If the French suffer a defeat in a battle in Southern Europe or Central Europe, they do not have the resources of Austria to make a comeback.

The Foreign Office must act immediately according to our plan to invite the countries of Europe to form an intervention group and end this meaningless war.

Before that, we must stabilize the Spanish. If they agree to join the intervention group, we will help them drive away the Japanese."

What seemed like a casual conversation was fraught with peril and hidden conflicts.

Britannia's land forces were limited, and to intervene in this European war, it had to rely on the strength of other countries. However, none of them were fools; every country had its own interests.

If diplomatic intimidation could solve the problem, so be it; but if it failed at the negotiation table and had to be resolved by force, not enough potential benefits were offered, and merely for a nebulous concept of European balance, it would be asking too much for everyone to commit their entire forces to intervention.

Unless Austria showed strong aggression that made other governments feel threatened, simply coordinating international relationships would not be accomplished overnight.

Foreign Minister George shrugged his shoulders with a sense of helplessness, "Achieving this is not only a task we can complete; we also need the cooperation of the French.

Keep in mind that our ally France is surrounded by enemies throughout Europe, and there are no shortage of those who would be happy to see them in trouble. If they do not take concrete actions to reassure the governments of Europe, it will be difficult to secure their support.

Especially the Spanish and Russians, both of whom have the power to influence this war. If either of them joined the Anti-French Alliance, our mediation plan would lose all meaning."

In this era of survival of the fittest, the key to resolving issues still lies in power. Not only military power, but also the comprehensive force of political and diplomatic means.

Although Spain was in decline, its reputation as a powerful nation remained intact in the eyes of other European countries.

Ostensibly, they were considered the fifth European power, right after the four great powers of England, France, Austria, and Russia, and also the fifth strongest nation in the world.

The Anti-French Alliance's power was already formidable; the addition of any great power would make it invincible.

Much of Europe was like a wallflower, not easily swayed without solid assurances. Without enough support, it was hard to create a sufficient show of strength, and naturally, deterrence was significantly weakened. Under these circumstances, only the great nations themselves could step into the fray.

The war between England and Russia had just ended, with animosity between the two nations at its peak. Even the most confident would not believe that England and Russia could cooperate sincerely.

Even if their interests were fully aligned and the governments of both countries were willing to collaborate, their people would act on their own accord, sparing no effort to sabotage when necessary.

In a sense, the actions of the Japanese helped the British Government make a decision.

To prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, the British had to give up their plans to reap the post-war benefits. With the outcome of the European war still undecided, they began to form an Intervention Alliance in advance.

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