Humans are naturally inclined to reflect, especially after experiencing profound pain. The escalating revolutionary wave made the ruling class keenly aware of the looming danger. Austria’s cultural traditions leaned towards conservatism, which meant it suffered relatively little during the economic crisis. Social tensions remained moderate, and the revolutionary wave had only a limited impact. The few domestic uprisings that did occur all had foreign involvement, and the general public’s revolutionary sentiment was not particularly strong. As a result, the Austrian government did not yet feel an overwhelming sense of crisis. While Franz was still contemplating whether to convene an international conference, Napoleon IV had already issued a call to the nations of Europe. He had no other choice. French revolutionary fervor was simply too intense. The country was like a powder keg, where even the smallest spark could ignite a full-scale rebellion. According to incomplete statistics, from the moment the gunshot rang out in Lyon until now, France had already experienced 116 revolts and uprisings, which was more than the rest of Europe combined. Strikes and demonstrations were even more common. Almost every city in France had experienced labor strikes, and as long as the weather permitted, there were protests on the streets of Paris. After gaining a deeper understanding of the situation in France, Franz could fully appreciate Napoleon IV’s urgency in calling for an international conference. Paris had truly earned its reputation as the cradle of revolution. Recently, the city’s residents seemed to have embraced revolution as a meaningful pastime, staging riots two to three times a week. Fortunately, when it came to suppressing uprisings, the French ruling class remained united. Otherwise, the Palace of Versailles might have had a new occupant by now. Several major financial consortia in Paris had already provided 1.5 billion francs to the French government to suppress the uprisings and stabilize the domestic situation. With the funds to secure military loyalty, Napoleon IV barely managed to hold onto power. From the current situation, the three great powers were still engaged in mutual backstabbing, and France was clearly the first to be on the verge of collapse. Victory was within reach, yet Franz had no choice but to stop. While Austria had every reason to weaken its French competitor, this did not include actively fueling a revolution in France. Revolutions were full of uncertainties. If a French revolution succeeded at this moment, who could guarantee that it wouldn’t spread across all of Europe? As expected, all European nations, including Austria, responded to Napoleon IV’s call. After initial discussions, it was decided that on April 15, 1882, an International “Reactionary” Alliance Conference would be held in Paris. … Economic Conference, Vienna Palace Minister of Railways, Soltren reported, “Given the current economic situation, the Ministry of Railways has decided to accelerate the Strategic Railway Network Plan. The key routes include: the Arabian Peninsula Circular Railway, the Middle East Railway, the North-South Central American Railway, the Southeast Asia Railway, and the Austrian African Circular Railway. Considering special circumstances, the Arabian Peninsula Circular Railway and the Middle East Railway will be built in segments. Certain areas with extreme geographical challenges will be temporarily set aside until technological advancements make construction feasible. Since our colonies in Southeast Asia are mostly islands, railway construction will inevitably be shaped by island topography. Currently, the key focus areas are the Lanfang Autonomous Province and New Guinea. Lanfang has already become the economic center of Southeast Asia, yet it lacks a proper railway. This is nothing short of a joke. As for the Austrian African Circular Railway, geographical constraints mean that, with our current technology, achieving full connectivity is still not possible. The Ministry of Railways is currently in negotiations with the French to see if we can integrate our railways with their network in Egypt. The proposal is to replace the original Libya–Chad–Central Africa route with a new one: Libya–Egypt–Sudan–Uganda. If this plan is successfully implemented, our next step will be to construct a grand bridge over the Suez Canal, linking Africa with Eurasia. France’s internal situation is currently in complete disarray, so as long as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs exerts diplomatic pressure, our chances of success are very high.” The Strategic Railway Network Plan proposed by the Ministry of Railways would cover nearly all of Austria’s overseas colonies except for Alaska and the Patagonian Plateau. In theory, once these railway mainlines were completed, Austria’s control over its overseas territories would be elevated to a whole new level. Foreign Minister Wessenberg said, “Sir Soltren, your plans are quite impressive. However, the final proposal for the African Circular Railway seems rather unrealistic. France is no small country. Even if their situation is unstable now and we manage to pressure the French government into making concessions, this will cause trouble in the future.” Minister of Railways Soltren replied, “Why? If the railway connects Africa and Eurasia, it would significantly boost Egypt’s economic development. The French would benefit as well.” Foreign Minister Wessenberg patiently explained, “This is not just a matter of economic benefits, it’s a question of strategic security. If we follow the Ministry of Railways’ plan, Egypt would become the key transportation hub between the Middle East and Austrian Africa. At the same time, it would find itself encircled by our infrastructure network. Should Austro-French relations deteriorate, or should a war break out, our army could rapidly deploy into Egypt via the railway. With a multi-front attack, the French would have no chance of defending Egypt. If they lose Egypt, they lose the Suez Canal. Losing control of the Suez Canal means losing over half of France’s overseas trade, essentially dooming them to defeat. Even if the current crisis forces the French government to compromise, they would still sabotage the project in the name of national security.” In a sense, Egypt is the lifeline of France. In the original timeline, the French aligned themselves with the British. Was it not because they had their throat tightly gripped? The situation now is quite similar. If Austro-French relations were to break down, France would have no choice but to defend Egypt at all costs. Otherwise, if they lose the Suez Canal, and the Cape of Good Hope route becomes unusable, their maritime lifeline would be severed in half. Prime Minister Felix added, It’s not just the African Circular Railway that has issues, the Southeast Asia Railway faces challenges as well. The Lanfang Autonomous Province is a special case. The central government has never directly governed them, so naturally, we have very little authority over them. If it weren’t for the tax payments they make each year, I might have forgotten that we even had an autonomous province there. In 1881, the Lanfang government paid 3.764 million guilders in taxes to the central government. All we had to do was provide them with security and protection and this is a stable source of revenue. When formulating policies involving Lanfang, the government opposes any measures that could provoke conflicts. If the Ministry of Railways wants to build railroads in Lanfang, it must obtain the consent of the autonomous government which is no easy task. They are extremely conservative when it comes to railway construction.” It can’t be helped. The Lanfang Autonomous Province had been too well-behaved, to the point where it had almost no political presence. The two government departments that dealt with them the most were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Taxation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs handled international disputes while the Ministry of Taxation collected taxes. And that was it. With minimal effort, the Austrian government could secure a stable and lucrative source of revenue. Who wouldn’t like that? The Austrian government had no intention of disrupting the current harmonious arrangement. As long as Lanfang paid its taxes on time, stayed out of trouble, and didn’t cause problems for the government, nothing else really mattered. Soltren nodded thoughtfully. As a technocratic official, he might not have been deeply involved in these matters, but that didn’t mean he was politically ignorant. If the plan couldn't be implemented, then it just needed to be revised. After all, every major government initiative went through multiple revisions, balancing interests before being officially adopted.
[Previous | Table of Contents | Next]
Comments
Post a Comment