When news of the French army’s defeat in Egypt reached the European continent, it immediately caused a huge stir. Many people’s first reaction upon reading the newspaper was to wonder if it was April Fool’s Day. In the original timeline, Italy’s defeat in Africa had been mocked across Europe for over a century. Now, the French were receiving the same treatment. Because of the deep resentment many held toward France, they attracted even more criticism than Italy had in the original version of events. As the official mouthpiece of the Austrian government, the Vienna Daily reported on the French defeat with an extremely dramatic headline: “France, the Empire in Decline.” This report was part of a special feature series that traced the decline of powerful nations throughout European history. Every major historical power was included in the list. To enhance the credibility of the report, even the House of Habsburg was featured, with a grand title describing it as “The First Empire Upon Which the Sun Never Set.” Naturally, when writing about their own history, the Austrians were not careless. Some degree of artistic embellishment was inevitable. In essence, the narrative portrayed the French as disgraceful for collaborating with infidels. This collaboration remained one of France’s most notorious historical stains, and no amount of explanation could erase it completely. As a Catholic nation, France had already embarrassed itself by joining the Protestant alliance. Although awkward, it could still be rationalized since both sides believed in God. However, aligning with the Ottoman Empire, which had long been regarded as Europe’s enemy, was considered utterly unacceptable. That alliance contributed to the decline of the French Empire. Although France emerged victorious in that era, their triumph was short-lived. Before long, they found themselves isolated by the rest of Europe. Catholic countries viewed them as traitors, while Protestant nations were unwilling to accept them as “heretics.” It wasn’t until the decline of religion that this situation gradually began to improve. If that was considered an old grudge, then the more recent resentment stemmed from the Napoleonic Wars. Napoleon the Great trampled over the nations of Europe to forge his legendary reputation. As his descendants, the French had to inherit the hostility that came with it. This animosity only intensified when Napoleon III annexed parts of Italy, pushing anti-French sentiment to new heights and plunging France into further isolation. That wasn’t even the worst of it. At the very least, Napoleon III had managed to sign a treaty of alliance with Britain and Austria. While the agreement wasn’t entirely reliable and lacked any real military obligations on the European continent, even an unreliable ally was better than having none at all. By the time Napoleon IV came to power, things had taken a turn. Once the tripartite alliance expired and was not renewed, Britain and Austria no longer felt constrained. When they decided to act, they did so without hesitation. What happened in Egypt was one example of this new reality. Without the support of Britain and Austria, the rebellion would likely have been crushed long ago. The so-called dream of “liberating Egypt” would never have been more than a fantasy. It’s important to note that the rebels’ platform and agenda had been almost entirely drafted by skilled British agents. Even the disastrous outcome at Aswan was the result of British scheming. As for Austria, its dark hand was already in motion, preparing to make its move, though it had not yet revealed itself fully. … No matter how impartial the media claims to be, it always has its own bias. Even the Habsburgs’ own dark history was published, so naturally France, as the backdrop, ended up being heavily criticized. Of course, this “Empire Series” only came about after the Habsburgs experienced a resurgence. Otherwise, Franz wouldn’t have had the confidence to confront that chapter of history. Against this backdrop, “France, the Empire in Decline” was far from a flattering portrayal. The idea of the French army being the best in the world was largely based on subjective perception. While the French military certainly had solid training, a large part of their reputation stemmed from psychological factors. To remove the fear that their own armies had of the French, many European powers found it politically correct to question or mock the combat strength of the French army. The earlier minor setback in Annam didn’t matter much. French casualties were low, and at most, European media made a few sarcastic remarks. Once the treaty was signed, everyone tactfully moved on. But the war in Egypt was a completely different story. Forty thousand French troops failed to defeat even African natives, and the disgrace was overwhelming. No harm in rounding it up as for all intents and purposes, the colonial forces might as well be the French Army’s main forces. For the European public, all they needed to know was that France had lost a war in Egypt. The details didn’t matter. Before this, there had already been a financial crash, an economic depression, and a major downturn. Then came the Paris Revolution, which threw the domestic economy into complete chaos. Before France could catch its breath, it suffered a major defeat in Egypt. Even Franz was nearly convinced that France had truly declined. Times had changed. Austria no longer needed France to stand at the forefront and draw Britain’s attention. Undermining France became one of the key policies of the Austrian government moving forward. It didn’t matter if all Europeans believed it so long as the Germans and Italians did, that was enough. Austria wasn’t the only one making things difficult for the French government. Almost every European country was fanning the flames, mostly through mockery. Watching France stumble had always been a favorite pastime of the European public. As the mastermind behind the Battle of Aswan, Lieutenant General Jarrett became famous overnight. Interestingly, it was actually the French newspapers that made him a household name. It wasn’t that the French were eager to promote their enemy, but rather, they had no other choice. Losing to the British was far easier to accept than losing to African natives. Not only was Britain’s support for the rebels exposed, Austria’s involvement was also uncovered. Naturally, the Austrian government soon received a formal protest from France. The famous writer Victor Hugo even penned an article titled “A Conspiracy of Two Empires Against France”, condemning the shameless behavior of Britain and Austria. … In Paris, angry French citizens had already taken to the streets in protest against the government. Adolphe, the Governor of Egypt, had now become synonymous with words like “idiot” and “incompetent.” Facing the fury of the people, Napoleon IV was deeply troubled. No matter how the government tried to explain the situation, the protesting crowds refused to disperse. Even after blaming Britain and Austria, the French public stubbornly believed that the real problem lay in the government’s poor personnel choices. Many began to question the effectiveness of France’s selection system for high-ranking officials. As for Adolphe himself, people were digging up everything about his ancestry, ultimately arriving at the conclusion that “noble connections equal incompetence.” If it weren’t for the distance, Napoleon IV would have liked to drag Adolphe back to France just to appease the public’s anger. Of course, that was easier said than done. Rules had to be followed. Even an emperor couldn’t act recklessly. Even in defeat, Adolphe could only be held accountable through a military tribunal, if it came to that. Public protests were nothing new. Napoleon IV had seen plenty of them and was already used to it. A similar uproar had followed the recent setback in Annam, but once the treaty arrived, all the problems quickly quieted down. Right now, the top priority was still suppressing the rebellion. As long as the rebels were crushed, this whole incident would soon fade from memory. Napoleon IV asked, “You’re all aware of the situation at home. When will the Ministry of War be able to deploy troops?” Minister of War Lusquinye Hafize replied, “Your Majesty, there is a great deal of preparation required for a long-distance expedition. The earliest we could be ready is in a week. And after arriving in Egypt, the troops would still need at least another week to rest and recover before they could be sent into battle. Including the marching time, it would be at least a month before we can launch an offensive against the rebels.” In a way, Napoleon IV’s impatience had been one of the reasons for Adolphe’s defeat. If the emperor hadn’t been rushing him, Adolphe might not have hastily engaged the rebels in a decisive battle. Of course, such matters could never be blamed on the emperor so Adolphe could only accept his misfortune. Having learned from that mistake, Lusquinye Hafize was now being far more cautious. The next expeditionary force would be handpicked by the Ministry of War, and if it suffered defeat again, Hafize himself wouldn’t be able to shirk responsibility. Napoleon IV frowned. “The situation in Egypt is on the brink, and the public pressure at home is immense. Can’t the Ministry of War move any faster?” Lusquinye Hafize replied, “Your Majesty, this is already the fastest pace we can manage. Reinforcing Egypt requires transporting troops by sea. We must first filter out soldiers prone to seasickness. And after they arrive, we have to consider issues like climate adjustment and illness. Generally, a cross-sea campaign like this typically needs at least six months, if not longer, to properly prepare.” This wasn’t nonsense. If troops were deployed recklessly, even in calm Mediterranean conditions, the number of non-combat casualties would still be shockingly high. Once they arrived, if they were thrown directly into battle without proper rest, even the most battle-hardened units would turn into ineffective forces. Napoleon IV, facing the firm stance of the Minister of War, hesitated to speak. He had graduated from a military academy, so he clearly understood these basic principles. However, the intense pressure from both domestic and international fronts had caused him to lose his composure. In that moment of urgency, he clung to an unrealistic hope of quickly suppressing the rebellion. After a sigh, Napoleon IV waved his hand and said, “Very well. Proceed with your plan. But make sure to move as quickly as possible. We must put down this rebellion swiftly and reduce our losses.” “Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Lusquinye Hafize. Napoleon IV then turned his gaze to the map on the wall. After studying it for a while, a thought seemed to strike him. Suddenly, he slammed the table and declared with determination, “Britain and Austria have repeatedly caused us trouble. Now, we must retaliate.” The moment he said the word “retaliate,” everyone in the room was thrown into a state of confusion. The French government had long wanted to retaliate against Britain and Austria for their repeated provocations, but they simply didn’t know where to begin. Strike back at the financial systems of Britain and Austria? That was easier said than done. Both countries had ample gold reserves, and the value of the pound and the guilder remained rock-solid. Support revolutionary parties or ethnic separatist movements? The French government was already doing that, but the results had been, to say the least, disappointing. Apart from the Irish independence movement stirring up a few ripples, the other groups showed no progress despite heavy investment. There was even a fake Hungarian independence organization that scammed the French government out of five million francs. An eye for an eye… Stir up trouble in their colonies? The French government had been trying that too, but with very little to show for it. The British used indirect rule, so rebellions mostly turned into infighting among local groups. Austria, on the other hand, governed its colonies directly and with far stronger control. In particular, Austrian Africa next door was so tightly managed that even trying to plan a colonial uprising left the French unsure of who they could even approach. While regional power factions certainly exist, their leaders have now become Austrian nobles. As entrenched beneficiaries of the status quo, they’ve no reason to rebel against themselves. None of these strategies hold water, surely we can’t afford to antagonize both nations diplomatically? The French government is self-aware enough to recognize that its diplomatic failures stem not from incompetence, but from France’s towering reservoir of resentment across Europe, which leaves it isolated on the continent. To engage in diplomatic games with Britain and Austria would only invite humiliation. A direct military strike might ironically yield better odds of success. After endless deliberations, the French government reluctantly concluded that to retaliate against Britain and Austria, one must align celestial timing, geographic advantage, and popular support. Charging blindly ahead is a fool’s gambit. Foreign Minister Terence Bourquin cautioned, “Your Majesty, with Britain and Austria colluding like wolves and jackals, rash action risks greater chaos. We must proceed with caution.” The notion of their “collusion” was largely fabricated. Aside from their joint manipulation of the franc, Britain and Austria had rarely united against France. But such details were irrelevant. The French government needed to save face and exaggerating the enemy’s strength masked their own inadequacies. Superficially at least, both Britain and Austria supported the Egyptian rebels. Framing their actions as a coordinated effort to suppress France wasn’t entirely baseless. *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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